Iuri Tavares, a 25-year-old Cape Verdean winger for Varaždin, was a target for several clubs during the summer, with Samsunspor being one of the interested parties. He joined the Croatian club in July 2025 and has a contract until May 2028. In the 2025/2026 SuperSport HNL season, Tavares made 31 appearances, scored 6 goals, and provided 5 assists. He has been capped once by Cape Verde. His current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €1.80m.