Slavia Prague is set to pay four million euros (approximately 100 million Czech crowns) for the winter transfer of David Zima, according to the chairman of the board Jaroslav Tvrdík. This would make it the most expensive transfer in the history of the Czech league, surpassing Nicolae Stanciu’s move to Slavia in 2019 for a similar amount from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.
Zima, who was sold to Turin two and a half years ago for a reported 150 million Czech crowns, has been on Slavia’s radar for some time. The Czech international did not have the necessary playing time at his Italian club before the summer European Championship and started looking for a new team. Initially, Zima was rumored to be heading to second-tier club Hamburg on a six-month loan with an option to buy, but the transfer fell through.
„We have been interested in David from the beginning of the transfer window. It was his decision to choose us, even though there were offers that were double our transfer fee. We appreciate that he preferred Slavia over five other European clubs and also respected our wage cap. His first transfer to Turin covered the costs of both his arrivals,“ said Tvrdík.
„We believe that he will help Slavia fulfill their sporting ambitions and that he will have a big transfer to a top European league in the future. In the last five years, we have sold players for more than 100 million euros. Now we are investing four million, but we are convinced that it will pay off both in sporting and financial terms,“ added the Slavia chief.
Zima had 20 appearances in his debut season in Turin’s Serie A but failed to establish himself as a regular starter due to several injuries. In the current season, he only played in five rounds as a substitute and completed a full match in the domestic cup against Frosinone, where he scored a goal.
„It was really demanding for me during the transfer window. There were many clubs interested, and it was quite chaotic. I was hoping that Slavia would work out. It was like being on a roller coaster. In the end, it was finally confirmed, and I am very happy about it,“ said Zima.
The Olomouc-born player joined Slavia from Sigma in the winter of 2020 for approximately 15 million Czech crowns. In the Czech top league, Zima has played 39 matches and scored one goal. He has won two league titles and a domestic cup with coach Jindřich Trpišovský’s team. He has also represented the Czech national team in 19 matches.
Slavia Prague, currently second in the league table, acquired their fifth winter signing during the winter break. They signed goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk from Plzeň, left-back Ondřej Zmrzlý from Olomouc, and 19-year-old Senegalese defender El Hadji Malick Diouf from Norwegian club Tromsø. They also secured the services of center-back Štěpán Chaloupka, who will finish the season with Teplice and join Slavia in the summer.
