‘Dropping demands’ - Olympiacos Launches Official Bid for Toulouse Midfielder

Greek Super League giants Olympiacos have submitted an official bid to sign Toulouse's Cristian Cásseres. 

According to a report by Gazzetta.gr, Olympiacos have decided to bring Toulouse midfielder Cristian Cásseres to the club this summer and have moved for him with official contact. The Red and Whites are understood to have sent their first offer to the French club to sign the Venezuelan international as Olympiacos await a response. 

The 26-year-old has emerged as one of the most integral players in Toulouse's system. However, the Ligue 1 side has dropped its asking price for Cásseres to a figure just above €10 million plus bonuses during this transfer window. Olympiacos' latest bid is expected to be hovering in that region, and therefore, there is a high chance that Toulouse will accept the proposal. 

Born in Caracas, Cásseres began his youth career by joining the academy of Venezuelan outfit Atletico Venezuela, playing as a striker. He left Atletico soon for Deportivo La Guaira, where he was deployed as a midfielder. After graduating from the youth academy of Deportivo La Guaira, Cásseres signed for MLS outfit New York Red Bulls. He played for their affiliate club New York Red Bulls II in the first season, and in August of 2018, he made his professional first-team debut for the club in a 1-0 victory against Houston Dynamo. 

In the summer of 2023, he joined Toulouse for an undisclosed fee, and since then, has been one of the first names on the team sheet. 

He has played over 100 matches across all competitions for Toulouse in the last three seasons. Last campaign, he produced two goals and five assists in 34 outings for Les Violets.

 In other news of acquiring a midfield reinforcement, Olympiacos have left EFL Championship side Wolves behind in the race to sign Sporting CP's Daniel Bragança, as per an earlier report on Roundtable. The Piraeus club is ready to fulfil the Portuguese giants' asking price in the region of €10 million, including bonuses, to get the deal done soon. 

Sporting CP's head coach Rui Borges confirmed that Bragança was put up for sale, and that he had completed his tenure at the club. Olympiacos remain the only side with concrete interest in signing him, as potential competitors Wolves are yet to send a bid to the Lisbon-based side. 

The next days will determine the outline of Jose Luis Mendilibar's midfield and the inclusion of these two players will surely dislodge some regular names of the engine room.