Marko Jovanović linked with FK Partizan Beograd return amid Kocaelispor exit reports

Serbian goalkeeper Marko Jovanović has not featured for Kocaelispor since sustaining a knee injury in January, despite resuming training in early October and making himself available to coach Selçuk İnan. Turkish media report that he was unofficially informed he is no longer part of the club’s plans and may seek a new environment during the upcoming winter window, even though his current contract remains valid until the summer.

Kocaelispor have established Serhat Oztaşdelen as their primary goalkeeper this season, while Onurcan Piri was selected for a Turkish Cup fixture when the starter was rested. Jovanović appeared on the bench for that cup match but indications suggest he has become the third-choice option at the eighth-placed Turkish side, which appears unwilling to allocate its foreign player slot to a goalkeeper.

This situation could create an opportunity for FK Partizan Beograd, who have rotated frequently between the posts during the current campaign. The Belgrade club started the season with Jovanović but moved him to the bench after performances against Getafe and Zemun, subsequently utilizing Miloš Krunić and later Milošević as arrivals and form dictated further changes.

Jovanović has publicly expressed a desire to return to Partizan on multiple occasions. He departed the club as captain in the summer of 2025 in a transfer valued at 250,000 euros. During his time in Turkey, he made 18 appearances and kept six clean sheets before suffering a knee injury during a match against Trabzon on January 18.

Sources suggest Kocaelispor are unlikely to obstruct a move if Jovanović secures a new club, with Partizan currently emerging as one potential destination. However, any transfer remains speculative at this stage, dependent on both the player’s fitness recovery and the strategic decisions of the involved clubs during the winter registration period.