Levski Sofia Rejects Olympiacos' 1st Bid For Akram Bouras

Akram Bouras entering the picture is interesting because it arrives only hours after SPORT24 described Gustavo Puerta as Olympiacos' preferred midfield option.

At first glance that appears contradictory. It probably is not.

Djellit's report states that a first Olympiacos offer was rejected, but provides no indication of when the bid was submitted or whether the club intend to return.

That makes Bouras potentially one of several parallel negotiations being conducted while Olympiacos determine which midfielder offers the strongest combination of price, availability and tactical fit.

The two players operate in a similar broad positional category but represent dramatically different market propositions.

Puerta is a Colombian World Cup midfielder playing in Spain and appears likely to require a transfer comfortably above €10 million.

Bouras is 24, plays for Levski Sofia and would presumably occupy a very different cost bracket—although no credible figure for Olympiacos' offer has emerged. That difference is strategically important.

Olympiacos may be testing whether they need to spend premium money to obtain the physical and technical characteristics Mendilibar wants, or whether a less expensive player can provide enough of the same functions.

Bouras' current European involvement also complicates the situation. UEFA records him as having played both matches and all 180 minutes available in Levski's current Champions League qualifying campaign.

That makes Levski's reluctance logical.

Selling an important central midfielder during European qualification carries a sporting cost that cannot be evaluated purely through market value. A buyer may therefore need to pay a premium to persuade Levski to weaken themselves at precisely the point when European progression is most valuable. The rejection itself should not be overinterpreted.

First offers are routinely declined. Without knowing the amount, it is impossible to determine whether Olympiacos submitted a serious attempt to close the transfer or simply tested Levski's willingness to negotiate.

What matters is what happens next.

If Olympiacos improve their proposal, Bouras becomes a genuine active alternative.

If no second bid appears while negotiations for Puerta accelerate, the Bouras approach may instead represent an earlier branch of the recruitment process that has since moved down the hierarchy. For now, Puerta remains better supported as the priority.

Bouras is a credible new lead—but one based on a single named journalist's report rather than club confirmation or multiple independent sources.