Brighton and Hove Albion are pushing for the signing of Arsenal-linked Charalampos Kostoulas, but they may be priced out of a move by Olympiacos’ valuation.
Kostas Lianos reports for The S*n that Brighton and Hove Albion are keen to sign Charalampos Kostoulas, with Arsenal also recently showing an interest in the young striker.
Lianos claims Wednesday could be pivotal for Kostoulas’ future, with negotiations ongoing between Brighton and Olympiacos. But the two clubs are a way off an agreement at this stage.
According to the report, talks have reached a fee of €40m (£33.7m), which is already beyond what Brighton are currently willing to pay. And the eventual fee could climb even higher to €50-55m, making Kostoulas the most expensive Greek transfer of all time.
David Ornstein and Andy Naylor of The Athletic previously claimed Brighton had made a bid of around £30m plus Abdallah Sima. But they added that Olympiacos were expected to turn the offer down.
The Greek club would ultimately prefer not to sell at all, and they’d at least like a sell-on clause in any potential deal.
Kostoulas 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.
Arsenal were also linked with Kostoulas’ Olympiacos teammate Christos Mouzakitis (pictured above) 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.