Bentayeb On Olympiacos Striker Shortlist

Olympiacos’ striker situation contains an unusual contradiction.

The squad already has established centre-forwards, yet the club may still need another one.

Ayoub El Kaabi remains the reference point. Mehdi Taremi is under contract but has attracted outside interest and occupies a non-EU position. Roman Yaremchuk’s situation has also required management, while José Luis Mendilibar appears to want a younger attacker capable of developing beneath—or eventually replacing—El Kaabi.

That context explains why Taoufik Bentayeb has returned to the conversation.

Italian journalist Alfredo Pedullà has placed Olympiacos back among the clubs interested in the Moroccan striker. Giorgos Tsanakas, speaking on bwinΣΠΟΡ FM, said Bentayeb remains a particularly attractive option for the attack.

The reporting does not establish a formal bid. It does, however, suggest that the interest first identified in May has survived Olympiacos’ broader summer planning.

A profile that differs from the current strikers

Bentayeb is not simply a younger version of Taremi or El Kaabi.

He can play centrally, but his mobility allows him to leave the penalty area, attack the channels and appear from wider starting positions. His left foot and acceleration make him useful when the attack becomes transitional rather than purely positional.

That versatility is relevant to Mendilibar.

Olympiacos’ forward is expected to initiate pressure, compete physically with centre-backs and attack space quickly once possession is recovered. El Kaabi performs those tasks at a high level, but the team’s structure can lose intensity when the replacement striker offers a fundamentally different profile.

Bentayeb’s athleticism would allow Olympiacos to preserve more of the same behaviour when rotating the position.

He also arrives with recent production. The Moroccan scored 18 times in 28 Ligue 2 appearances, finishing as the division’s leading scorer and playing a central role in Troyes’ promotion.

Ligue 2 is not the Champions League and those numbers do not guarantee an immediate translation to Olympiacos. But they provide stronger evidence than a purely developmental signing with limited senior output.

Why the Taremi decision matters

Bentayeb’s candidacy becomes more logical if Taremi leaves.

Vasco da Gama have reportedly considered the Iranian, although no formal offer has been confirmed.

Olympiacos must also account for the balance between experienced and developmental players, salaries and non-EU registration places. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Greek League is set to consider players with Moroccan passports to be "EU registered". This makes Bentayeb more attractive of a signing since he will not take up a foreigner spot in the roster.

Replacing Taremi with Bentayeb would change the squad’s age and financial profile.

Taremi offers:

• extensive Champions League experience;

• combination play and intelligent movement;

• immediate reliability;

• a significant senior salary;

• limited future resale value.

Bentayeb would offer:

• younger legs and greater pressing potential;

• a lower likely salary;

• adaptation risk;

• room for development and resale;

• potentiall an EU registration

The comparison is therefore not only about who is currently the better player. It is about what Olympiacos want the second striker position to become over the next several seasons.

The contractual complication

Bentayeb’s ownership situation has previously been more complicated than that of a conventional Troyes player.

He played in France on loan from Union Touarga in Morocco. Earlier reporting placed his potential valuation at approximately €4 million, but that figure predates his promotion-winning season and may no longer represent the actual conditions of a transfer.

Olympiacos would need clarity regarding:

• whether Troyes have activated or intend to activate a purchase option;

• which club currently controls his contract;

• the guaranteed fee and potential sell-on demands;

• the player’s willingness to accept a rotational role initially.

None of those questions has been answered in the latest reporting.

A shortlist return, not an imminent transfer

The language around Bentayeb should remain restrained.

Olympiacos are reportedly interested again. A club reporter considers him a good option. Italian reporting has placed the club back in the race.

There is still no evidence of:

• a submitted offer;

• agreed personal terms;

• permission for a medical;

• travel to Greece;

• or a final decision to sell another striker.

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The renewed link is meaningful because it reflects active squad planning rather than recycled speculation alone. But Bentayeb is currently a candidate, not an incoming Olympiacos player.

The next real development would be direct contact with his club, an identified financial proposal or confirmation that a departure elsewhere in the striker group has opened the position.