Olympiacos are nearing an €8 million deal for Norway and Torino right-back Marcus Holmgren Pedersen while simultaneously battling Bologna for Sevilla winger Ruben Vargas in a busy window.
Super League Greece outfit Olympiacos have intensified talks with Torino in the last few hours to reach an agreement today on transfer fees for Marcus Holmgren Pedersen — per an update by journalist Lorenzo Lepore of BalkansSports.com.
A permanent deal for the Norwegian right-back is being finalized by the two sides, as the Red and Whites are set to close on a total transfer package worth over €8 million. The details regarding the upfront fees and bonuses are expected to emerge in the coming days.
The bid to sign Pedersen increased recently for Olympiacos, who still are continuing negotiations with German side Wolfsburg to secure the services of Joakim Maehle. While there seems to be a verbal agreement between Dane and the Piraeus club, Wolfsburg are reluctant on accepting a lower transfer offer for one of their first-choice players.
According to an earlier update on TransferFeed, the Serie A outfits rejected a €5 million offer from newly promoted Premier League side Hull City and were demanding a figure between €8 and €10 million. The right-back's current Transfermarkt value stands in the region of €3.5 million. Olympiacos might have found just the sweet spot between Torino's valuation and their budget to spend on a full-back if we look more closely at the numbers.
Pedersen began his career at HIF/Stein before moving to attend the Norwegian School of Elite Sport. He joined the youth ranks of Tromsø IL, and he made his first-team debut with the club in 2018. After spending a season at Molde, he signed for Eredivisie side Feyenoord. Out of the four seasons he was contracted to the Dutch club, Pedersen spent two campaigns on loan, one at Sassuolo and the next one at Torino, who later bought him permanently triggering a conditional option to buy. He made 29 Serie A appearances last season, scoring once and assisting twice.
While Olympiacos close in on Pedersen, they are fighting a new battle against Bologna in the race to sign Sevilla winger Ruben Vargas. A deal is almost done between the Andalusians and the Greek giants, but Bologna made a late move last night to hijack Thrylos' attempt to sign the Swiss international.
Olympiacos are preparing for the departure of Gelson Martins, who is believed to have reached an agreement on personal terms with FC Krasnodar. The Russian club is pushing to sign the Portuguese winger, as reports suggest that he has accepted a potential contract, which will earn him more than €2.5 million net per year.
