After just over three years, Nik Prelec's time as a Cagliari player has come to an end. The Slovenian striker had already been at Oxford United in the English Championship since last summer, and the option to buy him outright has now been exercised. Born in 2001, he arrived in Sardinia in January 2023 at the behest of Claudio Ranieri, who had previously had him at Sampdoria.
For Cagliari, Prelec made 16 appearances, all in the second half of the 2022-23 Serie B season , the last coming in the playoff final won in Bari, where he came on as a second-half substitute. He subsequently spent time on loan in Austria, spending the 2023-24 season at WSG Tirol and the 2024-25 season at Austria Vienna.
Prelec's career will then continue with Oxford United, where he has played 19 times so far (18 in the league and one in the Carabao Cup), scoring once on September 21 against Bristol City. His last appearance, however, came on December 29 due to a groin injury .
"We believe Prelec has a lot more to offer for Oxford United. He's shown some quality performances so far, but hasn't been able to reach his full potential due to injury . We hope he returns to action soon and makes a contribution this season and beyond," said Ed Waldron, Head of Football Operations at the English club.