Cholevas, Rafinha heavily linked with Olympiacos move
Following the departures of Konstantinos Tsimikas and Omar Elabdellaoui, Olympiacos are on the lookout for new full-backs, with the Greek champions currently being heavily linked with Jose Cholevas and Rafinha.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
We will certainly see a different Olympiacos next season. Dominant in Greece and impressive in Europe, the Erythrolefki enjoyed a memorable 2019/2020 campaign as they notably claimed the Super League crown, but the squad is in the process of being weakened. Not long ago, left-back Tsimikas was snapped up by Liverpool, while right-back Elabdellaoui left the club as a free agent following the inability to agree terms on a new contract. The Norwegian international is expected to join Galatasaray in Turkey.
Olympiacos are now reportedly close to signing replacements for both Tsimikas and Elabdellaoui.
Left-back Cholevas, now 36 years of age, is supposedly close to penning a contract with Olympiacos. Since 2015, Cholevas has been playing his football with Watford in the English Premier League, but he left the organisation this summer after the team suffered relegation to the Championship. Cholevas previously represented Olympiacos between 2010 and 2014.
The experienced defender has uploaded a photograph of his plane ticket to Athens. Overall, Cholevas participated in 114 Premier League games throughout his time in England, contributing with six goals and 14 assists. He also played in 38 matches for the senior Greek national team before declaring his retirement from international football.
RAFINHA DEAL SEEMINGLY DONE
Brazilian right-back Rafinha, a 2012/2013 UEFA Champions League winner with Bayern Munich, will arrive in Athens on Wednesday to complete his transfer to Olympiacos. The 34-year-old left Flamengo in July.
Furthermore, Transfermarkt is already showing that Rafinha is an Olympiacos player, despite the Greeks having not released an official announcement as yet. Rafinha gained fame across Europe for his wonderful performances with Bayern Munich from 2011 to 2019.
When playing for Bayern, Rafinha grabbed 12 goals and 40 assists in the Bundesliga, standing out with his attacking approach on the right flank. His vast experience of successfully playing in the Champions League played a big part in Olympiacos’ decision to snap him up.
ARAO LINK
Rafinha might not be the only Brazilian player moving to Olympiacos this summer.
Willian Arao, who was close to joining Olympiacos two years ago, is once again seeing his name being mentioned in connection with the Erythrolefki. As it stands, the defensive midfielder is under contract at Flamengo until December 2023, but reports from Brazil are stating that a deal with Olympiacos for Arao is close.
Transfermarkt values Arao at four million euros. The 25-year-old has played in 12 games for Flamengo across all tournaments so far this season.
OLYMPIACOS TO ENTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN PLAYOFFS
Meanwhile, Olympique Lyonnais’ recent triumph over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 was warmly greeted by Olympiacos fans, with the Thrylos now guaranteed to join the 2020/2021 edition of the same tournament in the playoffs instead of the third qualifying round.
Olympiacos are aiming to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the second successive season. They were knocked down to the UEFA Europa League in the 2019/2020 campaign after finishing behind Bayern and Tottenham Hotspur in their group.
