OlympiacosRoundtable understands that multiple British clubs, including Coventry City, have joined Olympiacos in the race to sign Serbian midfielder Petar Stanic, with Ludogorets demanding no less than €10 million. Thrylos already has another alternative in mind.
Olympiacos F.C. is determined to strengthen its squad ahead of next season. Jose Luis Mendilibar's team will participate in UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, and they want to use this to their advantage to convince some players to join their project before the start of preseason.
A clear example is Argentine right-back Pablo Maffeo, described by none other than Lionel Messi as his toughest opponent. Maffeo, 28, arrived in Greece on Wednesday to finalize his signing for the Red and Whites. A clear statement of intent from the Greek giant.
Another player they are following, in a different position, is Serbian Petar Stanic. Bulgarian media cited a €6 million offer from Thrylos to PFC Ludogorets Razgrad to secure the services of Stanic, 24.
That said, sources have told OlympiacosRoundtable's transfer correspondent, Ekrem Konur, that the club owned by Evangelos Marinakis increased its offer to €7.5 million, which is still being rejected by the Bulgarian club, which values its star at €10 million.
"Comfortably clearing the initial attack away from their box, the club remains firm on its net €10 million asking price for Stanic," Konur told us.
The price is not the only obstacle for Olympiacos, as they also face competition from Premier League, Championship, and Scottish Premiership clubs.
While our information is that Olympiacos leads the race after making a concrete bid, several British clubs, including newly promoted Premier League side Coventry City F.C., are understood to be monitoring Stanic's availability.
Frank Lampard's team has no intention of taking a leisurely stroll through the first tier of English soccer, and the goal is to reinforce the squad with players who, on paper, guarantee survival.
Stanic himself aims to change scenery. Sources say that the player is looking for a new challenge to test himself in more competitive scenarios. While Coventry City offers a direct jump to what is considered the best league in the world, Olympiacos would give him the opportunity to participate in UEFA competitions as a key player.
"While the Bulgarian side has not declared the player completely unsellable, they are comfortably playing the role of a tough seller at the negotiation table," Konur explained to us.
Given such a complex scenario, the Red and Whites are already evaluating an alternative. We can exclusively reveal that Olympiacos is considering Argentine midfielder Guillermo Balzi as a second option.
Having moved to the Greek side Levadiakos F.C. last season on a temporary switch from Newell's Old Boys, Balzi, 24, earned stellar reviews in technical scouting reports, as sources confirmed to Konur.
The player is theoretically preparing to return to his club in Argentina. However, if the Stanic deal collapses entirely, Olympiacos will act swiftly to secure Balzi either on a permanent deal or via a new loan model equipped with a buyout option.
