Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are reportedly eyeing a £6m deal for AEK Athens’ Greek goalkeeper Vassilis Barkas.
If Manchester City supporters are still reeling from their dramatic defeat at Anfield, take a moment to sympathise with the poor AEK Athens fans who watched on in horror as their side threw away a two-goal lead to lose in the dying seconds against their bitter rivals on Sunday.
There might not have been any dodgy handball calls as the 2018 Super League champions took on capital city neighbours Panathinaikos but the eventual 3-2 defeat was no less heart-breaking as AEK slipped nine points behind runaway leaders Olympiakos.
And for Vassilis Barkas, the Greek international goalkeeper linked with a move to Celtic, he could hardly have endured a worse possible return to the starting XI after a month away.
Barkas had been left out of the last three league games with Sportime claiming that AEK are planning to cash in during the January transfer window amid £6 million links with Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.
But with three vital points, not to mention local bragging rights, on the line, AEK were never going to leave their Dutch-born talisman out of the squad again. Though even the brilliant Barkas was powerless to prevent Panathinaikos producing a thrilling comeback which will go down in folklore on the green city of Athens.
The hosts were 2-0 down until 25 minutes to go.
But, thanks to a strike from ex-Manchester United wonderkid Federico Macheda and a stunning 88th minute decider which flashed past a helpless Barkas, the Olympic Stadium exploded and AEK’s hopes of reclaiming the title ebbed ever further from view.
Barkas’ time at AEK is hardly ending the way he would have hoped.
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