Emmanouilidis set to return as Panathinaikos analyse future of loanees

With the club planning ahead for the 2020/2021 campaign, Panathinaikos are assessing the future of their players currently out on loan.

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It was certainly an inconsistent season for the Athenians. At times, Panathinaikos seemed to be teetering on the brink of crisis, but they were a forced to be reckoned with and gained impressive results against AEK, Olympiacos, and PAOK to eventually finish in fourth place of the Super League regular season and reach the quarter-finals of the Greek Cup. Taking into account the break as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak, the management has time to already put concrete plans in place for the 2020/2021 season, and the future of several players currently out on loan needs to be decided.

One loanee guaranteed to return is Dimitris Emmanouilidis. At the start of the season, the 19-year-old forward was largely left on the sidelines by Panionios, but he subsequently gained form as the campaign progressed and ended up scoring four important goals against Olympiacos, Panetolikos, Volos NFC and AEK. Dangerous on both wings, Emmanouilidis is regarded as one of the brightest talents in Greek football, and he is fully expected to be a member of the Panathinaikos senior team in the 2020/2021 campaign.

Mark Sifneos, who has struggled at Panathinaikos since joining the club in the summer of 2018, will have an opportunity to display his talents during the pre-season. This season, the 23-year-old forward has made progress in the Super League 2 with Apollon Larissa, registering six goals in 14 matches. Fellow striker, Nikos Vergos will also attempt to convince Giorgos Donis of his capabilities, although it is rather unlikely that he’ll be in the coach’s plans for next season. Vergos, 24, spent the second half of the 2019/2020 campaign on loan at Hercules in the Spanish third tier.

In January, Theofanis Mavrommatis was shifted out on loan to SonderjyskE after a disappointing first half of the season, but he showed promise with reliable performance in Denmark before the coronavirus pandemic halted the Superliga. Reports have suggested that Mavrommatis will be given another chance by Donis, but the centre-back will only be used as a back-up option. It’s worth remembering that Spanish defender, Fran Velez, will transfer to Panathinaikos as a free agent from Aris.

There is also the case of Christos Sechou. At the start of the year, the talented 20-year-old forward was loaned to Bologna in Italy, competing for the youth team in the Primavera. When he moved to Bologna, the Italians had the option to potentially sign him on a permanent basis for 1.7 million euros, but that won’t happen because of the COVID-19 crisis. Bologna have been severely hit financially and aren’t willing to spend the money on Sechou.

Two players definitely heading through the exit door are Yohan Mollo and Fausto Tienza. In the winter transfer window, the pair transferred on loan to Orleans and Gimnastic respectively, and all indications are pointing towards their permanent departure from Athens. Panathinaikos will look to cancel their contracts if no other club wants to buy them.

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