Olympiacos are closing in on Rayo Vallecano midfielder Unai López. The 29-year-old has reached a verbal agreement with the club, though contracts are not yet signed (1). He would be the first arrival of what is expected to be a transformative summer, with reports pointing to a minimum of seven new signings, focused heavily on the goalkeeper and defensive positions.
The López pursuit also signals the club is thinking about the post-Fortounis era in midfield. His profile differs from the long-time captain, offering José Luis Mendilibar a different option alongside existing midfielders like Dani García and Iñaki Ibáñez.
Podence future hangs in the balance
Thursday's reports confirm the club faces a difficult decision on Daniel Podence. His loan spell has complicated the negotiation, with his parent club standing firm on their demands (3) (4). The situation is described as one of the hardest calls the squad planning team will make this window.
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Carmo and Yaremchuk updates
Kostas Nikolakopoulos also addressed David Carmo and Roman Yaremchuk (4). Both spent the season on loan and are under evaluation. Carmo's case carries extra weight given the planned defensive rebuild. No final verdict has been reached, but discussions are active.
Tsapras and Masouras in the mix
Giannis Tsapras and Giorgos Masouras are also facing uncertain summers (3). With the squad set for significant turnover, both players' futures are under review as Mendilibar shapes next season's group.
The off-field backdrop remains remarkable. Owner Vangelis Marinakis recently hit 160 titles across his tenure, and the club's total across five major team sports now stands at 345 after a recent water polo championship. Meanwhile, basketball star Alec Peters received an extraordinary visit from organized supporters at his home in a bid to convince him to stay, a measure of how deeply this institution runs in Piraeus.
