Celtic may have to shatter their transfer record to bring in Greece international Fotis Ioannidis with Panathinaikos reportedly valuing the striker at around £9 million.
With some referring to Ioannidis as ‘the most influential player’ in the whole of the Greek Super League, it is easy to see why Panathinaikos are playing hardball, even as the talismanic centre-forward enters the final year of his contract.
Ioannidis, as things stand, will be a free-agent in the summer of 2024.
Panathinaikos, however, plan to extend his current deal. Thereby, ensuring they will be negotiating from a position of strength should Celtic step up their interest in a man who, SportDog say, has been on their radar for a number of windows.
Celtic like Panathinaikos and Greece striker Fotis Ioannidis
Ioannidis has only scored five goals and set up four more for the Greek League leaders. His impact goes far beyond the raw numbers, however.
Ioannids, as SportDog reporter Kostas Goulis puts it, ‘is the ultimate example that whoever works hard will always be rewarded. No matter how difficult the path, Fotis Ioannidis is a player who will give everything he has. He doesn’t leave anything on the field’.
That iron-clad determination and the ability to press from the front will appeal to Ange Postecoglou. The Hoops boss, after all, sees his centre-forward as not merely a ‘number nine’ but also the first line of defence.
Furthermore, while not a ‘great goalscorer’, Ioannidis is certainly a scorer of highly-important goals. There was a late winner at Panetolikos. An equaliser off the bench against OFI. Last time out, Ioannidis scored a brace as Panathinakos triumphed away to Atromitos.
Athletic Radio say that his goals alone have won Panathinaikos – who are closing in on their first Super Lig title in over a decade – no fewer than 17 points in 2022/23.
Whether Celtic are willing or capable of meeting that £9 million price-tag, only time will tell (OnSport). Champions League qualification will help.
Such a fee, meanwhile, would make Ioannidis the most expensive export in Panathinaikos’ history; overtaking the £7 million Lazio paid to sign one-time Liverpool forward Djibril Cisse back in 2011.
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