Podence wants back in, and the window suddenly gets interesting
Daniel Podence wants to return to Olympiacos (1). Not a vague agent whisper. Not a "monitoring the situation." A concrete desire to come back, and that changes the arithmetic of this transfer window immediately.
Podence is 30 but he does not need an introduction to Piraeus. He knows the system, he knows Mendilibar, he knows the weight of the shirt. You plug him into the attack and he produces from day one. That is the appeal.
The complication is Zinedin Smajlovic. Olympiacos are paying Sandefjord a record fee for the 19-year-old winger (3). Two wide players, two very different timelines. Smajlovic is potential. Podence is production. If both arrive in the same window, the squad looks genuinely deep. But you do not stockpile wingers without a reason. Somebody would be on the way out, or Mendilibar has plans for a shape that needs numbers. Either way, this is an ambitious club shopping with intent.
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Tzolakis and the Brighton problem
Brighton have inquired about Konstantis Tzolakis (2). That is not noise. Brighton do not waste phone calls. They are one of the smartest operators in the Premier League, and if they are asking about your 23-year-old goalkeeper, they have done the work.
Tzolakis was fundamental to a season that produced 66 points and a +34 goal difference, second in the table. Selling your starting keeper now would be a blow, but Brighton can offer a stage and a fee that Olympiacos cannot ignore. Mendilibar does not want to rebuild his spine every summer. The question is whether the club treats this as a refresh or a gamble.
What to watch
David Cármo is already in Athens to finalise his return. Domingos Duarte is a name being floated for depth at centre-back. Sofyan Amrabat is in the conversation. This squad is taking shape week by week.
But Podence is the story to track. If that door opens, the attack looks different overnight. The Cármo announcement should come first. Podence will not wait indefinitely.
