With Ayoub El Kaabi sidelined, Olympiacos must resist splashy transfer market veterans and trust Mexican starlet Armando 'La Hormiga' González to spearhead their high-stakes title charge.
Ayoub El Kaabi's long-term injury has unlocked a host of rumours linking Olympiacos to the signing of yet another striker. The arrival of Armando 'La Hormiga' Gonzalez was Evangelos Marinakis' underrated bet in the Mexican football market, as the backup to the Moroccan international. El Kaabi reached double figures in the goals charts last season alongside Mehdi Taremi across all competitions. The Casablanca-born man was assured of a starting place this season, but Olympiacos fans were stunned to see him suffer a season-ending injury against Volos in Matchday 3 of the Super League Greece.
Mendilibar allowed Gonzalez to feature in 4 matches since the start of the campaign. The former Chivas striker made perfect use of those chances, netting thrice and assisting twice in the Greek Cup. While Mexican fans wanted La Hormiga to earn the starting shirt by pushing El Kaabi to his limits, a season-ending injury to Olympiacos' main man has forced the issue under tragic circumstances. It is minutes by default rather than merit on the pitch, hardly how any supporter dreams of seeing their player take centre stage. Just a few days into the club, the 23-year-old has proved himself as the direct replacement for El Kaabi until his return as the starter up front.
After sacking UEFA Europa Conference League-winning coach Jose Luis Mendilibar last week, Olympiacos appointed Imanol Alguacil as the club's new head coach. Right now, the former Real Sociedad manager has only two attacking options — Gonzalez and Roman Yaremchuk.
Thrylos activated the Ukrainian forward after resolving his previous issues with Mendilibar and the club. He apologised for his past mistakes and found himself back on the squad list for a shot at redemption. It was unlikely for Olympiacos to search for another striker after bringing him in, as Gonzalez would have automatically been the starting choice.
Despite having two incredibly talented no-nonsense strikers at their disposal, club president Marinakis has decided to sign another player for this department, possibly a veteran to minimise expectations and provide the likes of Gonzalez and Yaremchuk with a pivotal role. In the last few hours, Olympiacos have been linked with potential transfers for Toluca's Paulinho and free agent Mauro Icardi, who last played at Galatasaray.
According to Kostas Nikolakopoulos and Thrylos 7 International, Paulinho has emerged as an alternative to the Argentine. Olympiacos' interest in signing an older profile reinforces their commitment to winning the treble, as going into the significant part of the season with just two forwards has its own risks. El Kaabi's injury has undoubtedly shaken the club, and they are surely unwilling to gamble at this stage.
Icardi is not somebody worth pursuing now, as his professional career has been nothing short of a mini theatre. 14 goals last season with Galatasaray give him some breathing space as a candidate, but he is incredibly unreliable and not a stable personality amongst this group of Olympiacos players. It is quite difficult to see him fit in and carry forward the title-winning mentality of the club.
The 33-year-old Paulinho seems to be a much better option than Icardi. However, Alguacil must focus on developing Gonzalez as Olympiacos' main striker. During the 2024-25 Mexican season, he scored 24 goals with Chivas. With just four games into the season, the Celeya-born man already has three goals under his name. Confidence is on the rise among the fans to see the young forward lead the attacking line. Benching him or giving him strong competition, even from a veteran, can prove to be a dent in his development plan.
Hormiga should emerge as the face of the Olympiacos attack. This could eventually become a magical partnership between the player and the club. Yaremchuk stays as the backup while an experienced profile must be on the sidelines called upon when necessary. The ball is in Alguacil's court to make this chance the perfect recipe for a lethal attack.
