Rumours are swirling around the transfer market as Pro Recco appear to be targeting reinforcements for next season — and two big names are making the rounds on social media: Rino Burić (Jug Dubrovnik) and Dimitrios Skoumpakis (Novi Beograd).
While nothing is confirmed and the speculation has yet to be substantiated by official sources, whispers from around the water polo community suggest that both players are on Recco’s radar as potential replacements for outgoing stars Ben Hallock and Aaron Younger.
Buric is likely to depart Jug in the Summer. The 27-year-old has had an impressive run in recent years: European champion in 2022, world champion in 2024, and silver medallist at the Paris Olympics. After rising through the ranks at Mornar Split, Burić became a key figure at Jadran Split before his 2023 move to Jug Dubrovnik. Notably, he was named Croatia’s Water Polo Player of the Year in 2023.
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While Recco typically look for physically dominant centres, Burić brings a dynamic, gritty edge to the position — and with Croatian head coach Sandro Sukno at the helm, it’s not hard to imagine why this link is gaining traction. Sukno has publicly expressed admiration for Burić in the past, and the pair share an understanding.
Meanwhile, the rumour mill is also linking Dimitrios Skoumpakis with a move to Liguria, this time as a potential successor to the versatile Aaron Younger. The towering Greek centre-back, standing at 2.03m, has had an exceptional season with VK Novi Beograd, earning accolades as Best Defender in the Adriatic League — a title he also claimed for three consecutive seasons in the Greek Championship.
Skoumpakis, an Olympic silver medallist (Tokyo 2020), has experience at the very top level, having featured prominently for Greece at multiple World Championships and on the club stage with Olympiacos and Novi Beograd. A move to Recco would be a natural step forward in his career, particularly with Younger expected to exit — and in terms of positional needs, the 26-year-old Greek makes the most tactical sense of the two.
However, the situation is fluid. It’s unclear if either deal is close, or even in advanced stages — no official announcements have been made, and there is every possibility these are early probes or social media-fuelled speculation. Still, with Pro Recco known for making bold, decisive moves, especially in Olympic post-seasons, these rumours are worth keeping an eye on.
Whether this is smoke without fire or the beginning of another big summer in the transfer market remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: if Pro Recco secure either of these players — or both — the reigning Champions League winners will only be strengthening their already formidable roster.