Olympiacos are in a comfortable position to sign Sandefjord center-back Zinedin Smajlovic. The 22-year-old is also wanted by Celtic, Feyenoord and Toulouse.
Olympiacos have reportedly positioned themselves in a very comfortable spot with regards to securing the signing of 22-year-old Swedish center-back Zinedin Smajlovic, who is currently under contract with the Norwegian side Sandefjord, which plays in the Eliteserien, the primary division of the Norwegian football pyramid.
As per reports by Gazzetta, Smajlovic’s current club, Sandefjord, have already signed and announced the arrival of another centre-back, Devon Koswal. As reported, the young Dutch defender has signed for the Norwegians from Eredivisie side Telstar on a contract running until 2029. This suggests that Smajlovic is closer than ever to leaving Sandefjord, and Thrylos looks to be his next destination, given that there is no sudden development in the coming weeks.
Smajlovic, who started his senior career at Swedish club Täby FK, has since played for Italian sides Lecce and Lecco, Swedish side Sandviken, and, most recently, for Norwegian side Sandefjord. He joined his current club back in 2025 and has since played in 26 Eliteserien matches for the club, scoring two goals in the process.
The player has been particularly applauded for his penchant for scoring goals, as Sport del Sud wrote in 2023, Smajlovic “...seems to be a defender with a habit of scoring, and who can well operate alongside players who are more experienced than him but who still make physical prowess their strong point...”. Over the course of his short career, the player debuted for the first team of Täby FK only in 2023. Smajlovic has managed to score 9 goals in 49 matches in the various leagues he has played in, averaging 0.18 goals per game, a number that is quite good for a young center-back.
It is to be noted that Scottish side Celtic, Dutch side Feyenoord, and Ligue 1 club Toulouse are also interested in securing the services of the young Swedish center-back.
It remains to be seen which club ends up signing Zinedin Smajlovic, but if current reports are to be taken into account, Olympiacos have the highest chance of sealing the deal with the Swedish youngster. If Thrylos indeed manages to sign him, the center-back line-up for the side would consist of captain Panagiotis Retsos, Lorenzo Pirola, Rúben Vezo, and Smajlovic himself.
Gazzetta also reported that Olympiacos were also targeting the signature of Italian club Genoa’s left-back Aaron Martin in a bid to bolster their squad. Martin still remains an important target for Thrylos, even if the deal with Smajlovic is sealed.
