Ivic, AEK preparing for important winter transfer window
With the winter fast approaching, AEK are putting their transfer plans in place with the club reportedly willing to listen to offers for the likes of Vasilis Barkas, Konstantinos Galanopoulos and Marko Livaja.
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It’s certainly been an eventful first half of the season for AEK. In the summer, the Kitrinomavri fired Miguel Cardoso after a series of dreadful performances in the UEFA Europa League and Super League, before Nikos Kostenoglou subsequently steadied the ship. However, the wheels have once again come off in the last few weeks, with AEK conceding damaging derby defeats to Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. Third-placed AEK now trail league leaders Olympiacos by nine points.
Technical director, Ilija Ivic, is now finalising his plans for the winter transfer window with changes clearly needed.
POSSIBLE DEPARTURES
Recent reports have suggested that AEK are willing to sell Barkas, Galanopoulos, Nenad Krsticic and Livaja if the price is right.
Ivic feels that this is the perfect time to cash in on Barkas, with clubs such as Montpellier, Celtic, AS Roma and a range of German teams all forming a queue for the Greek international goalkeeper. AEK had previously demanded almost 10 million euros for Barkas.
Barkas has conceded 13 goals and picked up five clean sheets in 11 matches in all competitions in the current campaign. Transfermarkt rates his value at three million euros.
Galanopoulos’ profile is rapidly rising. Last year, the gifted central midfielder caught the eye with his performances with AEK in the UEFA Champions League, and this time around he has attracted attention on the international stage with the Greek national team. The 21-year-old scored his first goal for the Ethniki Omada on Monday in a 2-1 win against Finland in Athens.
Clubs from Germany and around the continent are eager to sign Galanopoulos. Reports have stated that AEK would accept a bid exceeding three million.
Serbian midfielder Krsticic has been a major disappointment since he joined from Red Star Belgrade in January 2019. When the 29-year-old transferred to AEK, he arrived in Athens with high hopes after his strong showings with Red Star in the Champions League, but he hasn’t found any consistency and has largely failed to live up to the expectations. Krsticic has been linked with a possible return to Red Star in the winter.
Livaja is rightly regarded as the most talented player in this AEK squad. Nevertheless, even though he has been superb for AEK this season, his poor behaviour in the derby against Panathinaikos and apparent lack of discipline have supposedly pushed the Croat closer to the exit door. Taking into account his importance to the team, there is no willingness to let him go, but AEK will enter negotiations if bids bigger than five million are submitted.
POSSIBLE ARRIVALS
Muamer Tankovic, a Swedish forward playing for Hammarby in the Allsvenskan, is reportedly a transfer priority for AEK.
Tankovic’s contract Hammarby will expire in June 2020. In an ideal world, AEK would like to sign the 24-year-old in the winter transfer period, but the Enosi will wait until the season ends if they cannot come to a financial agreement with the Swedish club.
Born in Hageby, Tankovic is capable of playing either on the left wing or in a more central role. He registered 14 goals and eight assists in the 2019 Allsvenskan.
AEK have also been linked with Italian forward Amato Ciciretti.
Ciciretti, 25, is currently on the books of Napoli in Serie A. Unfortunately for him, the versatile winger is yet to play in a single senior game for the Italian giants this season, only competing in the one Primavera match. Ciciretti had spent the 2018/2019 season on loan at Ascoli where he scored two goals and dished out three assists in 12 Serie B games.
AEK are now considering loaning Ciciretti in the winter for the rest of the 2019/2020 season. Technical director Ilija Ivic has allegedly received the green light from Napoli for this to happen.
Orestis Kiomourtzoglou is a transfer target for AEK too.
Kiomourtzoglou, 21, plays in the centre of midfield and has made notable progress since joining Heracles in the Eredivisie. The midfielder was born in Germany but has Greek roots.
AEK also want to sign a centre-back in January with Bosnian defender Ognjen Vranjes on his last warning following several disciplinary issues.
