Summer planning begins at Panathinaikos
Summer planning begins at Panathinaikos as the club looks to sign 5-6 new players in the offseason.
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Despite the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus and the subsequent effect it is currently having on football, clubs are still working hard behind the scenes with an eye to the future. It is no different at Panathinaikos, as the summer plan is currently being formulated by club management.
No one knows what will happen next in the current uncertain environment - for instance, will the playoffs even take place? However, several issues can be dealt with internally and can be directly controlled by the club.
Georgios Donis
The first and most significant is the future of Giorgos Donis as head coach beyond this season. Donis has done a great job in his two seasons at the club, primarily focusing on promoting youth players in a bid to make the club more self-sustainable.
Donis is contracted to Panathinaikos beyond this current season, but rumours surfaced a few weeks ago that he may leave. A meeting with Giannis Alafouzos has been scheduled to take place at some point soon, and both men will lay all their cards on the table. Should all disagreements be put behind, Donis will remain as coach, working in tandem with Xavi Roca in a bid to further strengthen the team ahead of next season. This will include signing players from countries where the Spaniard has prior experience in the form of Cyprus and Spain, but also possibly northern European countries.
Player departures
On the other hand, numerous players will depart the club at the end of this season for various reasons. Kostas Apostolakis looks set to join APOEL in a bid to receive more playing time. Emanuel Insua seems unlikely to remain as he will attract big-money offers.
The futures of Christos Donis and Giorgos Vagiannidis remain uncertain, but the club is hopeful of keeping both (there have been positive developments in the case of Vagiannidis in recent weeks).
Furthermore, other players from the existing squad have slipped down the pecking order and may not be counted on for next season. Joao Nunes and Dimitris Kolovetsios have both struggled to displace Bart Schenkeveld and Achilleas Poungouras at the heart of defence, and as a result, one or both may leave. Fanis Mavromatis will also return from his loan spell.
The future of Italian striker Federico Macheda is up in the air as his strong form has led to interest from clubs in the Middle East and Turkey. At 28, this could also be his last chance to earn a big contract and return to a top-five league. His contract runs until the end of next season, so the Greens may look to sell him this summer to obtain a fee as opposed to losing him on a free transfer later down the track.
Panathinaikos will also be looking to offload underperforming players such as Yohan Mollo, Uffe Bech, and Dimitris Kolovos. This trio takes up a fair chunk of the wage bill, and releasing them early could be key in making more funds available to sign better players.
Players on loan and away on loan
Ghayas Zahid, Anuar Tuhami, and Dominik Nagy are all on loan at Panathinaikos until the end of this season. Anuar and Nagy were only signed in January, and it is unknown as to what will happen in either case. Zahid wants to stay at Panathinaikos, but the club may find it challenging to meet APOEL’s demands to keep him permanently.
The futures of other players returning from their respective loan spells away from the club must also be taken into account. Mavromatis looks set to return and fight for his place; the same should apply for Dimitris Emmanouilidis, who will return from Panionios and Christos Sechou returning from Bologna. The young forwards have been touted for big futures. Nikos Vergos, on the other hand, is unwanted.
New signings
According to recent reports, the Greens will make 5-6 new signings in the summer. Carlitos and Fran Velez, both of Spanish background, have already signed ahead of next season. The former has been training with his new teammates and is an exciting signing, signalling a statement of intent from the Greens. Yassin Ayoub was signed in January and has featured already for the Trifylli, albeit scarcely, this signing was always with a view to next season as the player seeks to return to full match fitness.
Following this, Xavi Roca will look to sign a centre midfielder who can play box-to-box (youngster Sotiris Alexandropoulos may get a better opportunity), a winger, a natural defensive midfielder, a forward, and two full-backs (both left and right back).
It is worth noting that the club has already moved to keep its best players by extending their contracts. The likes of Tasos Chatzigiovanis, Giannis Bouzoukis, Sokratis Dioudis, and Bart Schenkeveld have all penned new deals recently.
In other words, there are five key categories the Spanish technical director will focus on new signings, loan players, departures, sales of current players, and contract renewals. There will be a lot of changes happening to the Panathinaikos squad as Xavi Roca looks to put his own spin to it.
Of course, this is all subject to change at any point in time, given the uncertain conditions surrounding the impact the coronavirus has on the game and Panathinaikos as a club. Revenue will be lost from ticket sales, for instance. It is too early to estimate the size of the losses, but this could impact the club’s budget for next season and the ability to lure quality players. Developments will be closely monitored, and should there be major changes, Xavi Roca may be forced into reviewing his transfer policy.
