Xavi Roca gets to work ahead of winter transfer window
Xavi Roca gets to work at Panathinaikos as new signings will be kept to a minimum, while the focus will be on departures.
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Winter Transfer Plan
Having officially been at Panathinaikos for over a week, Xavi Roca has begun to put the pieces together for the January transfer window. As tipped several weeks ago, it will not be a big one for the Greens, but rather a time where a small number of moves will be made.
The Spanish technical director met with Giorgos Donis at Koropi, and the two spoke at length. The outgoings this transfer window will be just as essential as the new signings, as this is what will ultimately free up the cash to be active and attempt to lure top targets.
The club will be in the market for a winger and possibly look to make one other signing at most. This could be either in the form of adding another central midfielder capable of playing as a “number 6” and “number 8” or a striker that has an excellent goal-scoring record. Xavi Roca will be predominantly looking at free agents and loan moves, and moves are not expected to happen at the start of the month. Conversely, Xavi Roca, and Donis will work in tandem and take their time to examine the best value for money deals.
Lock Down Key Players
Following the news of club captain Dimitris Kourbelis recently putting pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the Trifylli until the summer of 2023, Xavi Roca will seek to persuade other key players to follow suit.
The 45-year-old will meet with Emanuel Insua, Sokratis Dioudis, Mattias Johansson, Christos Donis, Kostas Apostolakis, along with a pair of 18-year-old talents in Giorgos Vagiannidis and Andreas Athanasakopoulos to discuss contract renewal options. The respective futures of Dioudis and Apostolakis are tipped to be at Panathinaikos as these players are expected to agree to new deals. The size of the salaries is still up for contention as the Spaniard will need to meet with Giannis Alafouzos to be informed of a potential budget.
Summer Signings Heading for Early Exit
Out of favour summer signings are expected to leave next month. Yohan Mollo, Fausto Tienza, and Uffe Bech have all failed to make an impact, and none of them are in the plans of Donis moving forward.
Mollo, in particular, is on a reportedly high salary, so his departure would free up funds for Xavi Roca. The French winger clashed with Donis on several occasions due to a poor attitude, while Fausto has barely featured, and Bech is a regular on the treatment table. On top of this, Xavi Roca will also be looking to move on Anthony Mounier, Vangelis Oikonomou, and Panos Armenakas.
