Koutsias attracting attention from European giants
Although he is only 16 years of age, PAOK prospect Giorgos Koutsias is already being tipped for a big future, with major European clubs carefully tracking his progress.
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PAOK look to have another gem on their books. Koutsias, standing 178 centimeters tall, is drawing an increasing amount of attention thanks to his rapid development which is impossible to ignore. Regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation in Greece, Koutsias has made excellent progress with the under 19 PAOK team this season, scoring six goals in 17 Super League appearances as the Dikefalos tou Vorra captured the title.
According to reports provided by Sport 24, Koutsias currently earned 100,000 per year in Thessaloniki, with his PAOK contract set to run until the summer of 2022. However, taking into account that his release clause only amounts to one million, there is a chance that a bigger club from the continent will soon snap him up. Giorgos Vagiannidis of Panathinaikos was recently signed by Internazionale in similar circumstances.
Interestingly, Sport 24 also stated that Koutsias’ family was angered by the fact that the forward wasn’t given a chance by Abel Ferreira with the first team, fuelling rumours of a departure. Juventus and Ajax are particularly interested in acquiring Koutsias.
Koutsias has already shone on the international scene too. In November 2019, the teenager made his debut for the under 17 Greek national team, immediately finding the net in a 6-1 triumph over Azerbaijan. Koutsias then subsequently scored three goals in the next two matches in victories against Kazakhstan and Germany.
He was in fantastic form last season too. In the U15 Super League, Koutsias banged in an incredible 28 goals in just 18 games, firing PAOK to the trophy. His ability to score on a regular basis earned him an opportunity with the under 19 PAOK side in the 2019/2020 campaign, also participating in four UEFA Youth League games.
It will be interesting to see if Koutsias remains with the 2018/2019 Greek champions beyond the off-season. Assuming he continues to score with such regularity, however, it may only be a matter of time before he makes the move abroad.
