Panathinaikos are close to completing an agreement with Spanish side Girona to sign Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi for a fee of around 15 million euros.
However, negotiations over the transfer currently face a major hurdle due to the personal wage demands of the player.
Reporting on the protothema.gr program The Football Show, journalist Giannis Seretis stated that while the two clubs have made significant progress towards finalizing the 15 million euro transaction, the Moroccan international has refused to accept an annual salary below 4 million euros.
Seretis explained that Panathinaikos had significantly approached an agreement with Girona, but noted that the player himself remained the central issue. He added that the 15 million euro sum expected by Girona represented a reasonable figure for the deal if finalized.
According to the report, a salary of 4 million euros per year is exceptionally high by the financial standards of Panathinaikos. Seretis pointed out that an annual package of that scale automatically places heavy expectations on the player regarding both his on-field performance and his broader impact on the team.
Squad priorities and tactical requirements
Panathinaikos, based in Athens, compete in the Greek Super League and are seeking to reinforce their squad for domestic and European campaigns. Girona play in Spain's top flight, La Liga. Ounahi, who operates primarily as a central midfielder, rose to prominent international attention during Morocco's historic campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Beyond the financial hurdles, Seretis assessed that Panathinaikos have an even more urgent positional requirement in midfield. He reported that the club needs a player capable of filling the defensive number six role or the central box-to-box number eight role more than they need Ounahi.
Seretis commented that if Panathinaikos manage to secure both a defensive midfielder for the six or eight positions and Ounahi, in addition to a new centre-back, manager Nistrup will be tasked with finding the tactical solution to integrate them all.
European registration deadline creates time pressure
Time has become a critical factor in the ongoing negotiations. The upcoming 48 hours are viewed as decisive for the outcome of the transfer because Panathinaikos intend to include the Moroccan midfielder in their official squad roster for European competition.
The deadline for submitting the European player list falls late on Wednesday night and extends into the early hours of Thursday morning. UEFA rules mandate that participating clubs submit their finalized squad lists ahead of continental fixtures, leaving Panathinaikos with a narrow timeframe to resolve personal terms with Ounahi and complete the registration process.
