Bakambu completes the Olympiacos Luxury Market

Olympiacos closed out its ambitious campaign in the transfer market with today’s announcement of the addition of another big name, Cédric Bakambu, following the arrivals of Marcelo and James Rodríguez. At 31 years old, the Congolese striker, who played for Villarreal between 2015 and 2018, joined the Greek champions at zero cost after terminating his contract with Marseille, which he signed in January.

“This is the end of the bracket of OM (Olympique de Marseille). We vibrated last season in the qualification for the Champions League”, wrote Bakambu on his Twitter account as a farewell to the French club.

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Bakambu was also signed by Marseille in the last winter market on a free transfer after a prolific spell in China with Beijing Guoan, but scored just 4 goals in 24 games for Olympique.

Bakambu was not part of the French club’s plans due to his high salary and his low contribution to the attack, so both parties finally decided to terminate the contract before the striker arrived at Olympiacos.

Completing the market in Greek football on Thursday night, Valencian Carlos Corberán, coach of Olympiacos this season after leaving the Huddersfield bench in July after losing promotion to the Premier League against Nottingham, completed a luxury squad in by including three great players this month.

Before Bakambu, Olympiacos signed Marcelo on September 2, after 15 memorable years at Real Madrid, and this Wednesday the Colombian James Rodríguez, a teammate of the Brazilian side at the Bernabéu, after separating himself from the Qatari Al Rayyan.

Vrsaljko, free and some transferred

A fourth 30-year-old player, Croatian winger Sime Vrsaljko, also arrived at Olympiacos on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Atlético Madrid.

In the chapter on loan reinforcements, Konrad de la Fuente stands out, an American winger trained at Barça who arrived from Marseille a season after leaving the Camp Nou.

South Korean striker Ui-jo Hwang and English winger Josh Bowler, both from Nottingham after signing this summer from Girondins de Bordeaux and Blackpool, are other players who have arrived on loan at Piraeus with Diadié Samassékou (Hoffenheim) and Panagiotis Retsos (Verona ).

16 million upon signing

Olympiacos spent 16 million euros on 5 players in the summer market. Mallorca midfielder Pep Biel became his most expensive signing when he paid 6 million to FC Copenhagen. Forward Aboubacar Kamara (Aris Thessaloniki) cost him 5 million, while he spent 2 on Swiss winger Philip Zinckernagel, from Wtaford before loaning him to Standard Liège.

For Israeli left-back Doron Leidner (Hapoel Tel Aviv) he also paid two million and one for Pipa, another side that trained in Spain before moving to Huddersfield two seasons ago, where he arrived at Olympiacos with Carlos Corberán.

Third in Super League and bad in Europe

With the arrival of Marcelo, who has yet to make his debut, James Rodríguez and Bakambu, the Valencian coach hopes to straighten the course of champions Olympiacos, third in the Greek Super League, 4 points behind leaders Panathinaikos, after give up both. draw the first four days.

In Europe the situation is worse. Olympiacos fell in the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Maccabi Haifa. Already in the Europa League, they beat Slovan Bratislava and Apollon Limassol, both on penalties, to access the group stage, which started on the wrong foot with defeats to Nantes (2-1) and Freiburg (0-3). .