Unai López deal collapses
Olympiacos have lost out on Unai López. The Spanish midfielder, a personal recommendation from José Luis Mendilibar, has instead signed a contract renewal with Rayo Vallecano, rejecting the move to Piraeus (2).
This is a real setback. Mendilibar wanted him, the club pushed, and for a moment it looked done. Instead, López stays in La Liga and your midfield search resets.
What it means for the window
The club had been working on this deal alongside the near-finalized move for right-back Pablo Maffeo from Mallorca. That one, worth around three million euros, should still get over the line.
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But the López collapse stings. The midfield was already the priority area, and now the club must go back to a shortlist that reportedly includes at least one other name. Expect movement soon, Mendilibar will not want to wait.
The bigger picture
Kostinia is gone to Brighton. Maffeo fills the right-back hole. A Greek left-back is on the radar, and an attacking winger, Adrián Liso among those evaluated, is still being chased. The squad is taking shape, but the López miss means one of the manager's hand-picked targets is no longer an option.
Worth keeping an eye on Christos Mouzakitis, too. Interest from Spain in the 19-year-old is growing, and that could become a significant subplot before the summer is out.
