Turkish insider Yağız Sabuncuoğlu reported that Kocaelispor had shifted its focus to Ivo Grbić following an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Serbian goalkeeper Aleksandar Jovanović from Partizan. Grbić, who was on loan at Turkish club Rizespor from Sheffield United last season, participated in 22 league matches and conceded 31 goals. Prior to his time at Rizespor, he had played for Hajduk, Lokomotiva, Atletico Madrid, and Lille. Kocaelispor, which recently achieved victory in the Turkish second division and is gearing up for the top tier, considers Grbić as a viable option to enhance their squad under the new leadership of Selçuk Inan. The club is concentrating on assembling a competitive team for the forthcoming season.