Arsenal hopes of signing Olympiacos youngster Charalampos Kostoulas have taken a double blow, with Brighton joining the race and a high asking price for the transfer.
Earlier this year, reports suggested Arsenal held an interest in teenage Olympiacos centre-forward Charalampos Kostoulas, making formal contact with the player’s current club over a potential move.
Those reports also put Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Brentford in the mix, but it seems Brighton are the club most interested at the moment.
That’s according to David Ornstein and Andy Naylor of The Athletic, who claim Brighton have made a bid of around £30m plus Abdallah Sima.
That’s a significant offer for a 17-year-old, but Olympiacos are expected to turn the bid down. They want to keep Kostoulas at the club, and they also want a sell-on clause in any potential deal.
The teenager has already made 35 appearances for Olympiacos in all competitions, scoring seven goals and assisting a further two. He’s averaging a goal or assist every 210 minutes, which is a solid debut campaign, particularly given he hasn’t always played up front.
Kostoulas has regularly been used in midfield or on the wings, perhaps limiting how much time he gets to spend in the opposition penalty area.
Arsenal were also linked with Kostoulas’ Olympiacos teammate Christos Mouzakitis in February, and perhaps he’s the more realistic target now.
Spending well over £30m to convince Olympiacos to sell Kostoulas this summer doesn’t seem like a particularly wise use of funds for the Gunners at the moment.