Three contenders ready for Super League title race

A thrilling, nervy title race is in store in the 2018/2019 Super League season. AGONAsport analyses the three main contenders’ activity on the transfer market this summer.

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Last year, the battle for the Super League trophy almost went down to the wire between AEK and PAOK, but in this campaign, Olympiacos are back in the hunt and made an incredible amount of transfers in the off-season. For their part, AEK lost Lazaros Christodoulopoulos but signed Giannis Gianniotas, and PAOK penned a deal with experienced, gritty Swedish midfielder Pontus Wernbloom. With the season gradually warming up, let’s take a detailed look at the three Super League title contenders’ transfer activity:

AEK

On the whole, it was a rather difficult summer for the reigning Greek champions, as key players Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Sergio Araujo, Ognjen Vranjes and Jakob Johansson all departed the Enosis. Due to the natural financial limitations, AEK were unable to sign any real big-name replacements, however fans were angered by the management’s reluctancy to dig into their pockets even after the team earned plenty of money from qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stages.

Keeping up AEK’s long-running Argentinian theme, winger Lucas Boye and striker Ezequiel Ponce were both signed on loan, and the latter has shown positive early signs in an attacking partnership with Marko Livaja. Marios Oikonomou (another loan signing) fills the gap left by Vranjes, Alef is an intelligent midfielder and is a loanee for the 2018/2019 season from Braga, and former Olympiacos midfielder Giannis Gianniotas has the responsibility to replicate Christodoulopoulos’ heroics after signing as a free agent. Christos Almpanis adds depth in the forward area and Serafeim Giannikoglou is the third goalkeeper behind Vasilis Barkas and Panagiotis Tsintotas.

Main arrivals: Lucas Boye, Ezequiel Ponce, Alef, Marios Oikonomou, Serafeim Giannikoglou, Giannis Gianniotas, Christos Almpanis, Stratos Svarnas.

Main departures: Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Sergio Araujo, Jakob Johansson, Ognjen Vranjes, Giannis Anestis, Masoud Shojaei, Panagiotis Kone, Adam Tzanetopoulos.

PAOK

Although PAOK weren’t the busiest on the transfer market, the Dikefalos tou Vorra did pull off a few marquee signings, in particular pinching Swedish defensive midfielder Pontus Wernbloom on a free from CSKA Moscow and loaning Genk striker Nikos Karelis. Amr Warda, the Nova Sports Most Valuable Player of the 2017/2018 Super League, has returned from a hugely successful loan spell at Atromitos Athens and is expected to begin displaying his talent in Thessaloniki on a regular basis.

Head coach Razvan Lucescu was eager to sign back-up for Serbian hitman Aleksandar Prijovic, and in the end, PAOK secured the signatures of 22-year old Englishman Chuba Akpom, Brazilian prospect Leo Jaba and Karelis. Experienced Ukrainian centre-back Yevhen Khacheridi is rock solid and Romanian defender Alin Tosca was taken on loan from Real Betis in order to create competition on the left side. On the departures front, the only notable transfer was the loan of Greek international Efthymis Koulouris to Atromitos.

Main arrivals: Leo Jaba, Nikos Karelis, Chuba Akpom, Pontus Wernbloom, Alin Tosca, Amr Warda (loan return), Yevhen Khacheridi.

Main departures: Marcio Azevedo, Efthymis Koulouris, Ergys Kace, Marin Leovac, Djalma Campos.

Olympiacos

Sticking to his promise, fiery Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis made overwhelming changes to the set-up after a dismal 2017/2018 campaign, getting rid of dead wood and bringing in quality, talented footballers. Two transfers stand out in particular - Yaya Toure and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos. Back in 2005, well-known Ivorian midfielder Toure began to make his name at Olympiacos, before he went on to become a world star at Barcelona and Manchester City. After his contract expired in England, the 35-year old was snapped up by Olympiacos, and he was subsequently given a hero’s welcome in Piraeus.

Christodoulopoulos’ controversial move to Olympiacos from AEK dominated the newspaper headlines throughout the off-season. No one expected him to leave the Kitrinomavri, but after allegedly coming under too much pressure to stay at AEK, he opted to transfer to Olympiacos. AEK protested that Christodoulopoulos’ had already signed a new contract with the Athenians and a legal battle is still ongoing.

Strikers Miguel Angel Guerrero, Ahmed Hassan and Dimitris Manos have all arrived and consequently made Karim Ansarifard surplus to requirements. Andreas Gianniotis, regarded as one of Greece’s best goalkeepers at this moment in time, has been drafted in to take the place of Belgian veteran Silvio Proto and he will be partnered by Jose Sa.

In the midfield, Toure, Andreas Bouchalakis, Bibars Natcho, Mohamed Camara, Guilherme and Matias Nahuel are all vying for a place in manager Pedro Martins’ starting line-up, while in defence Vasilis Torosidis has come back to Greece after a prolonged stint in Italy, Yassine Meriah signed from Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien, Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Roderick Miranda is on loan in Piraeus and the promising Konstantinos Tsimikas is a starter on the left wing. Newly acquired attackers Daniel Podence and Giannis Fetfatzidis have the bit of magic up their sleeves to unlock opposing defences.

Main arrivals: Yaya Toure, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Miguel Angel Guerrero, Daniel Podence, Giannis Fetfatzidis, Bibars Natcho, Andreas Gianniotis, Jose Sa, Giannis Masouras, Yassine Meriah, Roderick Miranda, Mohamed Camara, Guilherme, Dimitris Manos, Konstantinos Tsimikas (loan return), Vasilis Torosidis, Ahmed Hassan, Matias Nahuel, Andreas Bouchalakis, Jagos Vukovic (loan return).

Main departures: Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, Bjorn Engels, Silvio Proto, Karim Ansarifard, Panagiotis Tachtsidis, Kevin Mirallas, Giorgos Manthatis, Igor Silva, Seba, Alberto Botia, Alaixys Romao, Uros Djurdjevic, Manolis Siopis, Emmanuel Emenike, Ehsan Hajsafi, Andre Martins, Guillaume Gillet.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

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