Croatian
club HNK Hajduk Split have announced the permanent signing of Gambia midfielder
Hamza Barry from Cypriot club Apollon Limassol.
The
22-year-old, who has spent the last season on loan at the Croatian top-flight
side, has signed a contract that will keep him at the UEFA Europa League bound
club until 2020.
The
club said in a statement: “Midfielder Hamza Barry (22) remains in Hajduk! The
club decided to keep him and make him available to coach Joan Carrillo for next
season and the agreement was officially reached.
Hamza has signed an agreement with the Whites
for three years and after borrowing from Apollon Limassol, he is now formally a
player of Hajduk.”
“I
am pleased to stay in Hajduk. I really enjoy playing and living in Split. I
look forward to the new season and I believe we will thrive in every sense,”
Hamza, who is currently with the Scorpions at their training camp in Accra,
Ghana, ahead of the AFCON Qualifier with Benin on Sunday, told the club’s
official website.
It
was always likely that Hajduk would turn Hamza’s loan from Apollon into a
permanent move but there’s something especially amusing about the club doing it
so soon.
Scored
five goals in 30 appearances as Hajduk finished 3rd on the Croatian league
table to secure a ticket to the second qualifying round of next season’s Europa
League.
It’s
a wise move for any number of reasons, the least of which being a virtuoso
season at his age could net a wild transfer fee down the line.
The
former Gambia Ports Authority has played for Valetta FC, Hapoel Tel Aviv and
Maccabi Netanya since turning professional four years ago.
