Panathinaikos enjoy strong transfer window under Xavi Roca

AGONAsport’s Nick Tsambouniaris praises a determined Xavi Roca, who has done a tremendous job in the winter transfer window at Panathinaikos. The Spaniard stuck to his plan by signing players of a similar type in an array of smart moves.

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Panathinaikos enjoyed a great January on and off the field. The team have won five matches in a row in all competitions, after controversially losing to Olympiacos in the league and PAS Giannina in the first leg of the Greek Cup (round of 16 stage). On top of this, new technical director Xavi Roca has made an array of smart signings with a relatively low budget at his disposal.

The Spaniard joined the club late last year as a replacement for the sacked Nikos Dabizas and immediately got to work, luring quality players under the radar. Central to these signings has been the ideology behind the process - Xavi Roca has targeted the same ‘type’ of player in terms of age and characteristics. This plan lacked in the summer, where Dabizas was perceived to have entered the transfer market without a plan.

Prior to the winter transfer window opening, he stated that the plan was to sign a winger and a versatile midfielder capable of playing as a ‘number six’ and ‘number eight.’ This happened by the middle of January as the Greens unveiled the signings of Anuar Tuhami and Dominik Nagy (both on loan). 

The former has really hit the ground running at Panathinaikos and his quality on the ball in the middle of the park is evident. He also offers Giorgos Donis a genuine selection headache and adds depth in a vital area as Dimitris Kourbelis, and Christos Donis are the only two other options. The latter was the priority since the Greens played the first half of the season without a recognised right-winger (Tasos Chatzigiovanis was the only natural winger utilised by Giorgos Donis as Yohan Mollo was quickly deemed surplus to requirements).

Anuar joined on loan from La Liga club Real Valladolid. This is his first move away from his boyhood club, and he seems to have taken the opportunity for open arms. Born and raised in Spain, he is a student of Spanish football but recently made his international debut for Morocco.

Just like Anuar, Hungarian winger Nagy is also turning 25 this year, meaning the pair are entering the peaks of their respective careers. He joined on loan from Legia Warsaw and has been capped ten times since 2016 by his native Hungary. At the Trifylli, Nagy will get the opportunity to play on a weekly basis.

Signing both players at a good age with a point to prove highlights the plan put in place by Xavi Roca. Additionally, the pair joined on loan moves, meaning that no transfer fees had to be paid. The fact that a cash-strapped Panathinaikos can lure these players speaks volumes of the work done by the Spaniard.

Anuar and Nagy joined by the middle of the month, but the good news does not stop there. Since these two were a high priority acquired early, it enabled Xavi Roca to look elsewhere and further bolster the squad. Consequently, Yassin Ayoub signed on a free transfer from Feyenoord, where he was out of favour.

He is also 25, reinforcing Xavi Roca stuck to the plan of acquiring players about to enter the best years of their careers. Ayoub was touted as a high-quality player with a bright future but recently struggled for game time at Feyenoord. This is the kind of player that could have been signed by title challengers PAOK, Olympiacos, and AEK, and no one would be shocked, let alone a Panathinaikos side faced with a dire financial situation. 

Ayoub was born and raised in the Netherlands and played for the Dutch at various levels, but opted to represent Morocco at the senior level. This is also a smart move in the sense that he might be familiar with countryman Anuar and could build a strong combination in the middle of the pitch (he is more attack-minded and has an eye for goal). He is yet to be included in a matchday squad and will have to wait for his place while working towards full fitness.

Perhaps the most significant move was left until last when Panathinaikos announced the signing of Spanish striker Carlitos. At 29, he is a bit older than the other signings but is at his prime, and he is known for his killer instinct in front of goal, being able to score a wide variety of goals. He is a lethal finisher and good with the ball at his feet, bringing others into the game.

The issue with Carlitos is the fact that he cannot play for the team until the beginning of next season, since he has already featured for two clubs this season (he only signed for Al Wahda in September 2019). He can be described as a journeyman, but recently played at Legia Warsaw. This means he has played with fellow new signing Nagy.

Top priorities in the form of a winger and central midfielder were signed early and on loan moves, meaning no fees were required, and it allowed him time to work on other targets. Furthermore, he used his scouting network from his native Spain to recruit players capable of fitting into his methods (Anuar is born and raised in Spain, and Carlitos is Spanish).

As a result, a silent, methodical, and free-spirited Xavi Roca is already beginning to lay the foundations for future success at Panathinaikos, just as he did at AEK Larnaca. He will now turn to extend the contracts of key players who are yet to commit (Sokratis Dioudis recently accepted a new and improved deal to stay at the club).

Image Source: sportime.gr

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