Manchester United and Arsenal will reportedly battle for a pair of Olympiacos wonderkids this summer. Greece have an exciting generation of players coming through and some could be heading to the Premier League this summer.
Charalampos Kostoulas and Christos Mouzakitis are among the highly-rated crop of stars coming from the European country. They both shone in Olympiacos Under-19s’ UEFA Youth League triumph last summer and have since made a big impression in the first-team. It is claimed that United and Arsenal are both watching their matches.
Forward Kostoulas is still only 17 but has scored six goals in 21 appearances this season. He can play as a centre-forward, out wide or as an advanced midfielder. The Greece U21 international turns 18 on May 30, making him eligible for a summer transfer to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Mouzakitis turned 18 on Christmas Day and was also called up to the Olympiacos senior squad after the success of the youth team. The left-footed central midfielder has scored twice and provided five assists in 30 appearances.
Mouzakitis has even earned his first two caps for Greece, making his debut as a 17-year-old last November. He started a senior international for the first time in Greece’s hugely impressive 3-0 Nations League play-off victory over Scotland at the weekend. Another teenager, 17-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, came off the bench to score at Hampden Park.
The Sun reports that United and Arsenal are among the clubs chasing Kostoulas and Mouzakitis. Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Juventus have also monitored their progress.
Kostoulas, who is said to have missed out on a senior Greece debut this week due to a hamstring injury, is also said to have separate interest from Tottenham, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, while Mouzakitis is reportedly also being watched by Brighton, Wolves, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.
Both players could be set for summer moves if Olympiacos are willing to sell. The Greek outfit, who face rivals Panathinaikos in the league this weekend, are seven points clear at the top of the table after an impressive campaign.
United’s sporting hierarchy - led by minority owners INEOS - have refocused their recruitment strategy to target young players who can be developed into superstars. Kostoulas and Mouzakitis would fall under that category.
Former Greek Arsenal stars include Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Konstantinos Mavropanos, the latter of whom now plays for West Ham.