Chadian striker Marius Mouandilmadji bolsters Olympiacos' attack following El Kaabi’s injury, offering crucial depth for Greek title pursuits while Armando Gonzalez and Roman Yaremchuk handle the continental workload.
Marius Mouandilmadji was officially announced by Olympiacos as their latest addition to the team following the long-term injury of first-choice striker Ayoub El Kaabi.
The Chadian international transferred from Turkish side Samunspor to Olympiacos recently, as the Greek giants intensified their search for a striker. The Red and Whites shortlisted the likes of Borja Mayoral (who opted for a prolonged stay at Getafe), Celta Vigo man Borja Iglesias and Liga MX club Toluca's Paulinho.
Marius' arrival clears him to feature from Olympiacos' next Super League Greece match against Levadiakos. While he is ready to play in Greek domestic competitions such as the league and the Cup, Marius cannot feature in the Europa League's league phase as the club has already submitted the European list. They replaced the injured El Kaabi with Roman Yaremchuk since the Moroccan's recovery period is beyond two months.
According to an earlier update by TransferFeed, Olympiacos are rumoured to have paid a transfer fee of 8 million euros to Samunspor for Marius' permanent transfer. Thrylos were looking for a forward to add depth to head coach Imanol Alguacil's squad, especially in the attacking department, which was shocked by El Kaabi's horrific injury.
Summer signing Armando 'La Hormiga' Gonzalez has started in both of the games under Alguacil's management. In the Greek top-flight match against OFI Crete, which ended in a 1-0 loss for the hosts and a debut spoiler for the newly appointed Basque coach, Jota Silva was the sole striker up front flanked by Gonzalez. None of them could find the net, but the Mexican rebounded by scoring the opener in the Europa League fixture against Jagiellonia Bialystok. Yaremchuk's 84th-minute strike completed the comeback for Olympiacos as they navigated through the match to get the three points after conceding early.
La Hormiga is set to become Alguacil's first-choice striker in his usual 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations, providing the player with a massive opportunity to showcase his talent in Europe. Undoubtedly, he has won the hearts of the Olympiacos supporters after delivering consistent displays in each of the three tournaments the club is involved in this season.
The Piraeus-based outfit was not in search of an attacker who would replace El Kaabi, but rather someone who could be relied upon when needed. In simple terms, the requirement was for a player who would be content with limited minutes while providing the much-needed depth to a depleted front.
