A Successful Summer Transfer Window for Olympiacos: Journalist Comments

Although the season began a mere two months ago, it already looks like Olympiacos has managed to have a very successful summer transfer window, having brought in several new additions to their squad that have greatly helped the team register victories in most of the games it has played so far. There was also a change in the managerial position when ex-manager José Luis Mendilibar left the club, and current boss Imanol Alguacil was brought in to fill his shoes. Journalist Costas Nikolakopoulos also seems to agree with the fact that Thrylos have indeed thrived well in the transfer market. He also shed light on one young player's performance.

In an article he wrote for the media outlet Gazzetta.gr, the journalist commented on the club's transfer situation while emphasising the performance of one player in particular: Gustavo Sá, a Portuguese attacking midfielder who joined Thrylos on loan from English side Nottingham Forest in 2026. 

Nikolakopoulos said in his article that when Sá joined the club, he impressed immediately by setting up El Kaabi’s goal and assisting Gelson's. However, as the journalist noted, the player then faded out somewhat during Mendilibar's tenure, and upon the arrival of Alguacil, he suffered a concussion and had to be left out of the squad. 

Now that he is back in the starting lineup, it looks like the manager has faith in the player's skills as he looks to play him in an advanced midfield role. Nikolakopoulos wrote in his article, “It is in the last few games that we see him back in the game, playing in the starting lineup with both Panetolikos and Kalamata, with coach Vasco clearly showing that he is counting on him, especially for the position in Chiquinho's lineup, in this hybrid role, something between a second striker and a third midfielder.”

In the article, the journalist said that while the young midfielder offers some very good skills while in possession, such as good crosses into the box to bring strikers like Jota Silvs into scoring positions, line-breaking passes to create opportunities, and good defensive actions, the player is also prone to errors. As Nikolakopoulos said, “Sá is a player with great carelessness in the game”. The journalist noted, quite importantly, “While he has so much to give, and already gives enough… he also shows a self that raises questions.”

The journalist concluded his article by saying Sá needs to mature soon, given that he plays for a club as big as Olympiacos, where pressure is always high, and the best is always expected. He also raised questions about the behaviour of midfielder Gustavo Puerta’s reactions regarding getting substituted off the field on the 60th minute of the game against Panetolikos. He also said that it is important that the team continues to play attacking football under Alguacil, as it is the best way for them to win their games.