Villarreal Push to Sign Olympiacos’ Santiago Hezze

La Liga side Villarreal are still pushing to sign Olympiacos midfielder Santiago Hezze. 

According to an update by TransferFeed, Villarreal keep their interest in Santiago Hezze alive as part of their potential winter transfer plans. 

The Yellow Submarine have been following the Argentine international since the summer transfer window, when they joined the likes of Juventus and Marseille in pursuing the player. Due to the arrivals of Gustavo Puerta and Remo Freuler, a guaranteed starting spot for Hezze was jeopardised, as he was reportedly unsettled about his future at the club. However, the departure of youth academy graduate Christos Mouzakitis opened things up in the midfield department, as Hezze's spot became a rotational one rather than an outright exclusion.

As per journalist Pete O'Rourke and other English news outlets, numerous undisclosed Premier League teams also registered their respective interests in Hezze. It is unclear whether any of the interested parties actually went on to contact the club or the player's entourage. 

Hezze's situation at Olympiacos has improved, especially after he was included in the side's European squad list for the UEFA Europa League. He was seen performing consistently for the club whenever head coach Imanol Alguacil called him for match duties. The 25-year-old has yet to publicly confirm a potential departure from Olympiacos, maintaining his professional stance, as he also received assurances from the club management regarding his game time concerns.

Still, Villarreal remain on the hunt for his signature. They are waiting on the margins for any sign of displeasure from Hezze towards Olympiacos' current plans, but the Greeks are firmly in place on their own with their assurances, European and domestic positions. 

In other news, as per an earlier report on Roundtable, Olympiacos have sent scouts to watch the players of Romanian outfit Universitatea Craiova. They are focusing on central defender Vladimir Screciu. The 26-year-old has a versatile profile as he can play in a defensive midfield role too, apart from his central defence duties. Olympiacos' scouts have watched him at least once in the last few days to make a better assessment. 

The Romanian has made 10 appearances for his national team and has previously featured for Belgian sides Genk and Lommel, where he spent two seasons and a year on loan, respectively. Club president Evangelos Marinakis cleared funds for Imanol Alguacil to use in the upcoming transfer window, and we can expect more developments in the coming days.