After a short break before the national team’s starting qualification for the Euro, attention is once again turning to their exciting play-offs. Superleague 1. And if the fans of the teams that participate in them, at the moment, only care about seeing them eventually crowned champions, then their managers have something to think about.

The preparatory work for planning the next season has slowly begun, and always in such cases, expiring contracts take precedence, so that the appropriate steps are then taken in the transfer market.

Based on the most likely scenario, which states that the top five of the playoffs will also receive the same number of European tickets corresponding to our country for the 2023-24 season, “K” represents 42 contracts that expire next June, the teams “big five” (PAO, AEK, Olympiacos, PAOK and Aris) of the Greek League.

Panathinaikos: Three delays, load on Kurbelis

At Panathinaikos, the first two extensions took place in December last year and involved Bart Schenkefeld and Ruben Pérez, who signed new contracts until the summer of 2025.

The third adjustment came in February and was related to the team’s big unlucky Aitor. The Spanish winger, who was the Greens’ most important player before the injury, has also signed a contract until June 2025, in recognition of his contribution to the club.

In addition, six more contracts are expiring, with the contract of Captain Dimitris Kourbelis currently taking precedence, opening the corresponding round of discussions.

The remaining five involved four defenders and a goalkeeper. The reason is Achillea Pugura, Zvonimir Sarlia, Facundo Sanchez, Timoteus Pouats and 24-year-old goalkeeper Vassilis Xenopoulos. As for Puciac, the 24-year-old Polish left-back has been acquired on loan from German Union Berlin, with whom he is linked until 2025, and it remains to be seen if Clover will enter into negotiations. phase with them to acquire it.

There is also Antonio Xavier, who plays on loan at Levadeiakos, and after June his cooperation with Panathinaikos will not be renewed.

AEK: all the possibilities for Pineda

This year, the project of a new team with Matias Almeidas on the bench is considered successful in AEK. It seems logical for the Union to want this to be long-term, and this has been proven by Rota and Mitoglu’s contract renewals, who have been rewarded for their progress, while another “gold” extension is being prepared for Levia Garcia (contract until 2025). that this year he is the most important player on the team. The adjusted contract will better protect the Yellow-Blacks from potential suitors who are targeting the 25-year-old striker from Trinidad and Tobago. What about players whose contracts expire in June? It is expected that the biggest burden will fall on the team’s other star, Orbelin Pineda, who is on loan at the Spanish Celta. The data about his stay is not on the side of AEK, which, nevertheless, intends to exhaust all possibilities.

The contribution of 33-year-old Hadjisafi and 36-year-old Amrabad to this year’s course makes one think about their stay despite not fitting into Almeida’s plan in terms of age.

The Yellow-Blacks’ contracts expire

Olympic: … the eyes of fourteen

For a streak of players that will hopefully reach 14, Olympiacos will have to deal with this very soon.
Poor transfer planning last summer, resulting in squad overload, is forcing management to make similar decisions.

Of this 14th, there are undoubtedly those who will try to stay at Olympiacos next season, no matter what position the team takes in the playoffs.

Alexandros Paschalakis, Gian Embilas, James Rodriguez and Sokratis Papastathopoulos are the four who are prioritized next season.

This should already be considered a given for the 33-year-old goalkeeper, since he has already made the required number of matches, a condition that existed in his contract, an extension option for another year was activated.

Yann Embila, the Red-and-Whites’ barometer, considers it necessary to wear the team’s jersey next season, while for James Rodriguez, a lot will depend on the offers he has in hand. Papastathopoulos, 35, is likely to stay for another year.

From now on, 39-year-old Mathieu Valbuena will be offered his services from another position.

Samaseku is on loan at Hoffenheim and Canos at Brentford, without specifying whether existing buy clauses will be activated.

PAOK: facing difficult decisions

For the future, nine players should work next June in Tumba. The first category includes the elderly, and the “two-headed northerners” they are called upon to decide what to do. The reason is Adelino Vieirania, Diego Bisesvar and Jasmine Kurtic, whose two-year loan from Parma is about to expire. There are signs that one way or another they will leave.
Nelson Oliveira, Thiago Dundas and Brandon Thomas become key players in Thessaloniki team. The former picked up his form after a poor start to the season, while for Dundas, who is owned by Benfica and his loan is completed, PAOK’s thoughts on acquiring 50% of his rights are strong. PAOK has the option to extend Thomas’ contract.

There is also an option with El Kaduri, whose contract is automatically renewed if he plays a certain number of matches, and what will happen to the Pole Thomas Keziora, who was taken on a six-month loan by Dynamo Kiev, will be decided. .

Mars: A Quieter Summer

Unlike last summer, this year seems to be more relaxed for Aris in terms of expiring contracts.

Three completed, three loans also, and it remains to be seen if Lazaros Christodoulopoulos’ term will continue beyond June. After two years in Kl. Vikelidis”, there are signs that Juan Iturbe will leave after he is considered to have come full circle. On the contrary, the onus is expected to fall on the loan extension of Stoke City’s Nigerian midfielder Peter Etembo, which is no easy feat.

Rafael Camacho has been pushing for him to return to Sporting Lisbon, where he belongs, and Aris-Olympic’s loan deal for Abubacar Camara includes a mandatory summer purchase option instead of €2.5m. And Lukas Rupp’s loan from Norwich is over, and one of the few Greeks on the team, Marios Sampanis, will continue to make up the top three, barring a shocking prospect.