Celtic have submitted a €4M bid for Sandefjord center-back Zinedin Smajlovic, but Olympiacos remain in the race. The Norwegian club are holding out for €4.5M-€5M for the 22-year-old Swedish defender.
Olympiacos F.C. finally appears to be making progress on several potential signings ahead of next season.
One of the positions the club is looking to strengthen is central defense. While the focus in recent weeks has largely been on the fullback positions, the Red and Whites are also working to reinforce the heart of their back line.
According to recent reports, Olympiacos is in a strong position to sign 22-year-old Swedish center back Zinedin Smajlovic, who is currently under contract with Norwegian Eliteserien side Sandefjord.
In fact, according to Gazetta.gr, Sandefjord has already signed what appears to be Smajlovic's replacement. The player in question is another 22-year-old center back, Devon Koswal.
That development is obviously a boost for the Greek club in its pursuit of the Swedish defender.
However, the same report states that Olympiacos is not the only team in the race. It names the Scottish Premiership side Celtic, the Eredivisie club Feyenoord, and the Ligue 1 side Toulouse as other interested clubs.
On Sunday, the same outlet went a step further, reporting that Celtic had submitted an offer worth between €3.5 million and €4 million for the player.
That said, nothing has been finalized. According to the report, the Norwegian club rejected the offer and made it clear that it will not allow its center back to leave for less than approximately €4.5 million to €5 million, according to Costas Nikolaopoulos.
"Celtic, it is said, has also made the same offer as Olympiacos to the Norwegians for the transfer of Smailovic, around 3.5 to 4 million euros. But the Norwegians have replied that they are not selling him for that money. The figure should reach 4.5-5 million euros, if I understand correctly," Nikolaopoulos wrote on his Sunday round-up.
Smakovic began his career with Swedish club Täby FK before going on to represent Italian sides Lecce and Lecco.
Prior to joining his current club, he also played for Swedish outfit Sandviken, arriving at Sandefjord only in 2025. Last season, he made 26 league appearances and scored two goals.
Another option Olympiacos is pursuing to strengthen its central defense is Nottingham Forest defender David Carmo, who spent last season on loan at Real Oviedo.
Carmo has already had two separate spells with the Greek club, the first of which was the most successful, as he helped the Piraeus giants win the UEFA Conference League.
The Aveiro native appears convinced that returning to Olympiacos is the best move for his career, according to recent reports from the Greek media.
