AEK on the verge of loaning Alef and Boye
AEK Athens are on the verge of securing the signatures of Alef and Lucas Boye, transfers which will give the Enosis a required boost ahead of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
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Under contract at Braga, 23-year old defensive midfielder Alef spent the 2017/2018 season as a loanee in Cyprus, impressing with runners-up Apollon Limassol. Nevertheless, despite his strong performances with Apollon, Alef is surplus to requirements at Braga and AEK decided to pounce. According to reports, the reigning Greek champions have struck a deal with Braga, agreeing to sign Alef on loan for the upcoming campaign with the player holding a release clause of two million which can be activated next year.
Interestingly, Alef will pen a 1+3 contract with AEK, meaning that in the event the Kitrinomavri opt to make the move permanent in 2019, the Brazilian will immediately be tied down to the Athenians until 2022.
Having started his career with Ponte Preta in his native Brazil, he transferred to Europe in 2014 with Marseille. Alef signed for Portuguese club Braga a year later, but instead of holding down a first-team spot, he was loaned to Umm Salal and Apollon Limassol. He has represented the under 20 Brazilian national team on three occasions.
BOYE READY TO JOIN AEK
When the popular Sergio Araujo returned to Las Palmas, a large hole was left in AEK’s attacking armoury, however another Argentinian striker seems to be on his way to Athens.
Lucas Boye, a 22-year old forward on the books of Torino, is widely expected to join AEK on loan for the 2018/2019 season. Last year, Boye did begin the campaign with parent club Torino in Italy, but he was shifted out to Celta Vigo in the winter and competed in 13 La Liga matches without scoring any goals.
Although his goalscoring record does not make for pleasant reading, the Argentine possesses real potential for the future, boasting excellent technical skills and is regarded as a true team player with his brilliant work ethic.
Previously, Boye has played for River Plate, Newell’s Old Boys, Torino and Celta Vigo. On Transfermarkt, his value is rated at 1.5 million. Boye’s Torino contract runs for two more years.
PONCE STILL A POSSIBILITY
Remember the story with Ezequiel Ponce? Initially, the 21-year old from Argentina was close to an AEK transfer, but it came to nothing after the AS Roma striker wanted to wait for better options.
The link seemed to be dead, but out of nowhere, Roma notified AEK that they can sign Ponce at any moment. AEK will now consider the possibility of pinching Ponce on loan and the club will make their decision within the next couple of days. It’s not known if Ponce will affect Lucas Boye’s chances of joining AEK.
NEGOTIATIONS STALL WITH KONE
On the other hand, negotiations with experienced midfielder Panagiotis Kone have stalled. After a successful loan spell at the Enosis in the previous season, both AEK and Kone were keen to continue their cooperation, but complications are preventing the transfer from happening.
Predictably, the issue all comes down to salary size. AEK are willing to pay Kone a maximum of 350,000 per-year, while the former Greek international is demanding around 700,000. It remains to be seen whether the two parties can meet somewhere in the middle.
MANAGEMENT CONFLICT
In other news, rumours appeared suggesting that head coach Marinos Ouzounidis and technical director Nikos Liberopoulos have engaged in a disagreement, with the two having different views on which players AEK should sign.
AEK owner Dimitris Melissanidis was forced to step in, asking everyone to work in a more professional, productive manner. The Kitrinomavri only have less than a month left before the club compete in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying phase.
