Panathinaikos has made it clear several times that Fotis Ioannidis is not for sale, yet reports from Italy are heating up the issue. Renowned journalist Nicolo Schira tweeted that the Greek forward is just a step away from Sporting Lisbon, having agreed to a contract with them until 2029!
Most reports linking Fotis Ioannidis to Sporting Lisbon have come from Portugal, but the fact that this news comes from an Italian journalist is a significant development. He has recently covered many topics regarding the transfers of Greek teams, the most recent being Erik Lamela’s move to AEK.
The 24-year-old forward is currently following part of the training program of Panathinaikos and is making a sprint to be ready and registered on the European list for the matches against Botev Plovdiv in the 2nd qualifying round of the Europa League.
It is worth noting that recently Panathinaikos purchased 100% of Fotis Ioannidis’ rights from Levadiakos, as the team from Viotia had a reselling percentage close to 50% in case of a potential sale! From the “trifolium” side, this information is not confirmed at least for the moment, and they report that there is “no issue” with Ioannidis’ sale!
What reports from Portugal indicate
In the “camp” of Sporting Lisbon, they know that Panathinaikos is asking for €25-30 million to sell Ioannidis and that they do not intend to drop… even a single euro! Ioannidis is a personal choice of Ruben Amorim, who knows that the club will not have a available center-forward during the preparation.
Paulinho, who was the replacement for Gekeres, was sold to Toluca in Mexico, while Gekeres underwent surgery for a knee problem and will return late in August. According to the same source, Sporting Lisbon knows that acquiring Ioannidis is difficult due to the love the fans have for him.
However, Sporting Lisbon appears undeterred and plans to return vigorously, throwing everything they have on the table to secure Panathinaikos’ “yes” for Fotis Ioannidis.