Olympiacos scored with Ceka, still looking for Bakayoko, in contact with other midfielders

The transfer of world star Marcelo has overshadowed every other event in these twenty-four hours at Olympiakos and it is logical that the Reds and Whites, however, continue with procedures for another transfer, namely a central midfielder. At the same time, there is a possibility of signing a goalkeeper until September 15, when the curtain falls on the transfer window – for free players the deadline is September 30.

Bakayoko for January

Last week we reported on Piraeus PAE’s attempt to sign Tiemoue Bakayoko on the last day of August but due to a bureaucratic error valuable time was lost and Olympiacos were unable to include him in their squad.

The French defensive midfielder belongs to Chelsea FC and has been loaned to Milan since last year for two seasons – until June 2023 – for €3,000,000. As a result, the 28-year-old midfielder’s loan from the Italian side had to be ended, he had to return to London and Chelsea then loaned him out to Olympiacos. The player has a contract with the Blues until the summer of 2024.

From the Piraeus PAE they are looking for a legal formula to get the French footballer as the transfer window has expired in both England and Italy and two teams are involved in the case. If it’s not possible to take over Bakayoko right away, information suggests that Olympiacos will try to sign him for January from now on as he has reached an agreement with Chelsea and Milan as well as the player.

Born in Paris but in Côte d’Ivoire, the central midfielder started his career at Rennes Academies, playing in the first team and was sold to Monaco at the age of 20 for €8,000,000. He played with the Monegasque team for three seasons before moving to Chelsea for €40,000,000. Bakayoko stayed in London for a season and then was loaned out to Milan, Monaco, Napoli and back to Milan where he remains to this day.

In contact with Cheka

But apart from Bakayoko, Olympiacos has been in contact with Miguel Angelo da Silva Rocha, better known as Cheka, for the past 24 hours, according to reports. The Portuguese central midfielder was sacked by Lille in June but his high asking price (he was asking €2,500,000 a year plus a signing premium) made it difficult to sign him in the summer. Porto, Trabzonspor, Lyon, MLS, Qatar and Saudi Arabia teams have all expressed interest in the 27-year-old footballer but no agreement has been reached.

Cheka is now set to drop his hat as the transfer window closes in Europe’s major leagues and seems open to continuing his career in Greece or Turkey. Information suggests that Olympiacos have an open line with the player and his representatives and developments are expected soon.

The Portuguese midfielder started his career at Pasos Ferreira Academy and joined Valencia U19 team at the age of 18. He then played for Braga and then on loan to Lille, who took him on a regular basis for €5,000,000 in the summer of 2017. Cheka spent five years at Lille, except for one season when he was loaned to Dijon. It’s more of an “8” but does its job as a “6” well.

Two more central midfielders on the radar

As well as Cheka and Bakayoko, Olympiacos is reportedly in contact with two other central midfielders. In Spain, they keep the name of Nemanja Radoja, who was released from Levante in June.

The 29-year-old Serbia midfielder has been linked with the Reds in the last ten days of August, along with Villarreal’s 23-year-old Spaniard Manu Morlanes, who is more of an attacking midfielder. The latter is to be acquired on loan with a purchase option, as he is still under contract until the summer of 2026.

Elsewhere, the possibility of an Olympiakos goalkeeper remains open to complement Vatslik and bolster the competition, while Tzolakis and Kristinsson are also available.