Liga MX Expert Breaks Down What Olympiacos Gets in Armando Gonzalez

The latest forward linked to Olympiacos F.C. is Chivas de Guadalajara striker Armando Gonzalez. OlympiacosRoundtable spoke exclusively with Mexican journalist and Liga MX expert Nazario Assad.

Assad, who is close to Chivas' environment, told us what fans of the Red and Whites can expect from Gonzalez, 23, his similarities to another Mexican forward who has already played for the Piraeus club, and the player's camp's position on his possible transfer to Olympiacos.

Q: What type of forward would you say Armando Gonzalez is, and what can Olympiacos fans expect from him?

A: He is a classic No. 9 striker, a finisher in the box, very dependent on service from teammates. He has certain similarities in his movement into space and positioning inside the area with other Mexican forwards such as Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and Omar Bravo.

He still has a lot of room for development in his associative game and in becoming a more self-sufficient forward.

Additionally, he still needs to polish his finishing; he requires many chances to convert them into goals. If he gets on a hot streak, he can be unstoppable, or he can go months without scoring.

Q: The last time Olympiacos and Chivas formalised a transfer was when Alan Pulido left Greece to return to Mexico. Pulido had few opportunities, but overall left good feelings with the Greek fans. What is the perception of Gonzalez compared to Pulido in Mexico? Is more expected of the 'Ant' today than was expected of Alan in 2015?

A: Pulido is a very different striker profile compared to Gonzalez. Pulido was much more associative and less of a reference finisher in the area. His strengths were creating play for the wingers and finishing by arriving in the box.

With Gonzalez, expectations must depend heavily on the system the coach uses and whether it benefits him right now. However, the perspective on Gonzalez is that he has a significantly higher ceiling than Pulido. Both in Mexico and at Olympiacos, they should expect more from Gonzalez than Pulido delivered.

Q: The press is talking about a possible agreement for around $9-10 million. Does that sound realistic for Chivas' standards when letting go of their young stars? Have you heard anything from the Guadalajara camp about a possible Gonzalez departure?

A: It would not be unusual for Chivas to let the player go despite him being one of their most exciting young prospects; they have done it in the past. The board understands the process well and the players' desire to play in Europe.

The amount reported in the press seems absolutely reasonable for a player of his age, position, and potential, as long as it is not for 100% of his rights and Guadalajara retains 20% or 30% to receive additional payment upon a future sale of the player.

I understand that Gonzalez's camp and his representation agency, which is Roc Nation Sports (the same as Vinicius Junior and Yan Diomande), are very committed to making the move to Greece happen, but there may be a process of give and take to finally convince Chivas and align the agreement on those details that close the deal properly and leave all parties involved satisfied.