Louchet incoming, Koulierakis rising, and a squad stretched thin
Tom Louchet is flying to Thessaloniki. The Nice midfielder, 21 years old and valued at roughly €2 million, is on the verge of signing for PAOK (5). This is not a rumour any more, it is a deal entering its final hours and the first real signal this summer that the club is spending cash, not just patching holes.
What does a young French 8 give a side already carrying Zafeiris and Kamara in that exact role? That is the question fans are asking, and it is a fair one (Reddit 2). Louchet profiles as a box-to-box midfielder, tidy in possession, aggressive out of it. The fee is modest but not negligible for a Greek club outside the Champions League. He arrives as the Dynamo Kyiv return leg looms and as the Anderlecht tie is locked in for August 6 and 13 (8). He will not be eased in gently.
The body count and the schedule
The squad is already thin. Meite and Despodov remain in treatment, missing recovery work after Thursday's match (7). Taha Ali lasted 15 minutes on his debut before a suspected collarbone fracture. Shoretire trained alone (7). That is three attacking options either out or limited, plus Ozdoev gone for good after rejecting a renewal offer on personal grounds.
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The aggregate lead over Dynamo Kyiv is 3–2. One clean sheet sends PAOK through, but the manager is adjusting the defence for the second leg with a depleted midfield in front of it. Every adjustment matters more when the bench is this short.
Mikelbrencis and the Joselu puzzle
William Mikelbrencis, a right-back from Hamburg, has agreed terms and will be registered for the Europa League list (4). He is a sensible pickup: young, covers a position that needed depth behind Kenny, and arrives with Bundesliga 2 experience. No drama, just a functional signing.
The Joselu deal is the bigger story, and the one dragging. The final obstacle remains unresolved (1). A striker of that profile, a veteran with La Liga pedigree, changes the ceiling of this attack. Until that hurdle clears, it is just another negotiation stuck in the last mile.
Koulierakis, the standard
Konstantinos Koulierakis moving from Wolfsburg to Roma is not a PAOK story in the traditional sense, but the club made sure everyone noticed. "Proud of our kids' progress," the statement read (3). This is what the academy is supposed to produce: a defender sold abroad, now climbing another rung into a Serie A club with European ambitions.
The subtext matters. Every time PAOK develop and sell, the pitch to the next prospect gets easier. Koulierakis is now the benchmark, and the club want you to know it.
What to watch
Anderlecht arrive on August 6. That is four days from now (8). The Louchet deal should be sealed before then. The Joselu situation either resolves or it does not. The Dynamo Kyiv second leg will define whether European football extends past August. Three stories, one week. This is the most consequential stretch of the summer, and it is already underway.
