Emmanuel Ekong's proposed loan move to Croatian club Hajduk Split has fallen through after the Nigerian-born forward failed a routine medical examination, according to Croatian outlet 24sata.

The 23-year-old had been set to join Hajduk Split from Swedish champions Malmö FF on a season-long loan, with an option for the Croatian side to make the deal permanent at the end of the campaign. The transfer appeared close to completion, with both clubs finalising paperwork, before the medical setback brought everything to a halt.

Ekong left out of Malmö's squad

Prior to the deal collapsing, Ekong had already been omitted from Malmö's matchday squad for their Allsvenskan fixture against Kalmar. Club officials had confirmed before that game that he was on the verge of completing a move away, raising expectations that a switch to Hajduk Split was imminent.

With the transfer now dead, Ekong is anticipated to return to Malmö FF, though his immediate future remains unclear. The Swedish club could look to explore alternative destinations for him before the transfer window shuts.

Background on Ekong

Ekong arrived at Malmö from Italian Serie A outfit Empoli. Despite being eligible to represent Nigeria through his family heritage, he has featured for Sweden at various youth levels.

The striker will now wait for clarity on his next move following the collapse of the Hajduk Split deal.