Olympiacos looking ahead to contract renewals and possible departures

The disruption of the Greek football season due to the Coronavirus pandemic has Olympiacos already making plans for next season. The Piraeus club is busy considering contract renewals and possible departures.

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The big question concerns manager Pedro Martins and whether he will extend his stay at the club. Past that though there are a few key players whom the club want to keep and others they must decide whether they need to move on.

The signing of Mathieu Valbuena to a new deal recently was the Erythrolefki’s first real order of business in looking ahead to next year. Three players, in particular, are at the top of the club’s most wanted list.

Omar Elabdellaoui: The Norwegian has been a fine captain over the course of this campaign. However, it’s decision time for club and player as the 28-year-old’s contract runs out this summer. Elabdellaoui has reportedly already sent his demands to the club for a new deal and is awaiting their response. At Olympiacos since 2014, but for a brief loan spell at Hull, Elabdellaoui has been a stalwart of the team and continues to be the first-choice right-back. Time will tell whether the defender will stay or decide his future lies elsewhere. With no immediate replacement in his position to take his place, the smart money is on Elabdellaoui remaining in Greece.

Osseynou Ba: The 24-year-old has been arguably the surprise of the season on the Olympiacos roster. Ba has made 14 appearances, but the bulk of those have come in the last couple of months. The former Ajaccio product has not only won a place in the starting line-up for the team, but he has also been amongst the club’s top performers over February and March. There is a real movement from the club’s hierarchy to reward Ba for his impressive turnaround and sign him to a new deal, especially as he now is being scouted more heavily thanks to his displays in Europe.

Guilherme: The Brazilian midfielder is another player whose performances have changed the course of his Olympiacos career. Considered to be an expendable player at one point, the former Deportivo La Coruna player has been superb both in Greece and in Europe this season. The 28-year-old is not in danger of leaving this summer due to an expiring contract, but his steady play now has the board wanting to re-sign the versatile player and extend his stay in Piraeus.

Other players seem to have an uncertain future, specifically the likes of Lazaros Christodoulopoulos and Emre Mor.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos: After two years at his boyhood club, all the indications are that Christodoulopoulos will leave the port following this season. After a comeback from a devastating ACL injury, Lazaros has been unable to garner much playing time despite finding his fitness. Martins has not entrusted the veteran attacker with much playing time since his return. With the 33-year-old not being able to play in 60% of matches this season, he is not eligible to have his contract automatically renewed. This means that a departure from the club is increasingly likely with reported interest from teams in Turkey and Cyprus. 

Emre Mor: It is completely certain that the on-loan Celta Vigo winger will not be in Greece come next season. The 22-year-old seems like a talented player, but with only two appearances thus far it’s clear that he has not convinced Martins of his ability. In order to activate a buy-out clause by Olympiacos he would need to play in all the club’s remaining matches this season and Coronavirus disruption or not that appears impossible to happen. 

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