19-year-old Bulgarian winger Kristijan Balov's performances for Slavia Sofia generated interest from several European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Trabzonspor, Ludogorets, and LASK from Linz. After considering various offers, the player ultimately decided to continue his career at Crvena zvezda, influenced by the club's reputation for developing young players. In the 2025/2026 season, he made 31 domestic league appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 7 assists. He has earned one cap for Bulgaria, scoring one goal. His contract with Slavia Sofia was set to expire in June 2027, and his market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at €1.00m. A June 2026 report states Red Star Belgrade will pay a €2,500,000 fee for the player; earlier in 2026, Slavia Sofia's asking price was reportedly close to €2,000,000.