Olympiacos have left Imanol one final transfer decision — and the international break has become his roster audit
The transfer window is closed. Olympiacos' squad, apparently, may not be. The arrival of Imanol Alguacil created an unusual situation in Piraeus. The club constructed most of its 2026-27 roster for another coach, changed managers after the season had already begun and then asked the replacement to discover what he actually inherited while simultaneously playing competitive matches.
Now he finally has some time and according to Sport-FM, Olympiacos are prepared to let Imanol determine whether the club should make one more addition from the free-agent market. That is considerably more sensible than choosing a famous available player and trying to invent a need afterward.
Imanol has spent three matches collecting information
Twenty-one Olympiacos players have already appeared during his first three matches. That is a large number.
It also makes sense. A new coach arriving during the season does not possess the luxury of preseason experimentation. Competitive games become auditions. Training becomes evaluation and every lineup provides another piece of evidence.
There are already emerging constants — Francisco Ortega, Panagiotis Retsos, Remo Freuler, Jota and Chiquinho among them — but much of the squad hierarchy remains fluid. Sport-FM reports that finding the correct chemistry is one of the central objectives of the current break.
Now Imanol can examine the roster without needing to prepare for a match every three or four days.
The international break is imperfect — but useful
Only 15 first-team players are currently available at Rentis because so many Olympiacos players are away internationally. That obviously prevents full-team tactical work. It creates another opportunity instead. Players who need individual attention can receive it, like Leon Bailey.
The winger did not travel with Jamaica because of fatigue and is expected to progressively increase his training intensity. Olympiacos did not acquire Bailey simply to add another winger. At his best, he provides something structurally important: acceleration. He can turn a static possession into penetration without requiring several preceding actions to create the advantage.
For a team that has produced 63 shots but only three goals during Imanol's first three matches, finding more efficient ways to convert territorial control into high-quality chances is a significant concern.
Mouandilmadji matters for the same reason
Marius Mouandilmadji is another player being targeted for additional work during the break. Olympiacos' center-forward question remains unresolved. Sport-FM's reporting suggests Imanol appreciates the greater attacking movement provided by González, but Mouandilmadji's later arrival means the coach is still evaluating exactly what he can provide.
That becomes particularly important before the derby with Panathinaikos. The decision is not simply who scores more goals. It is which striker makes Imanol's attack function. Does the forward pin center-backs?
Drop between lines? Attack depth? Create room for Jota and Chiquinho? Lead the press?
Those answers may determine whether Olympiacos actually need another attacking player far more than the reputation of any available free agent.
Gustavo Sá is another internal addition
There is an understandable tendency during transfer discussions to focus exclusively on players outside the club, but recovering injured players alter squad construction too.
Gustavo Sá is using the break to move beyond his injury and work toward being available when competitive football returns. If Imanol believes Sá can occupy a meaningful role, the perceived need for another signing changes.
Squad needs are interconnected. One player's return can eliminate another player's recruitment.
And then there are the names
Raphaël Guerreiro continues to be linked with Olympiacos in overseas reporting. Adnan Januzaj and Wilfried Zaha have reportedly been proposed. Al-Musrati's name has resurfaced after previous Olympiacos interest.
They are recognizable footballers.
There is currently no credible indication in this reporting that Olympiacos are close to signing any of them. The substantive information is that the free-agent market remains available if Imanol requests reinforcement.
Because a free transfer is never really free
Any late signing consumes resources. Salary. Signing bonus. Agent commission. Squad space. Training repetitions. Minutes that could otherwise go to an existing player and potentially a European registration decision later.
A player arriving now also enters without Imanol's preseason, without the squad's conditioning base and without months of tactical education. The threshold should therefore be high. The question cannot be: Is this player good?
Guerreiro, Zaha, Januzaj and Al-Musrati have all demonstrated significant ability during their careers.
The correct question is: Does this player solve a problem Olympiacos currently cannot solve internally?
That is why Imanol's decision matters
He inherited this squad. He did not design it. Giving him the authority to identify its final weakness is therefore logical.
Perhaps he decides Olympiacos need another left-sided defender. Perhaps midfield depth concerns him.
Perhaps he wants another attacker. Or perhaps the conclusion after two weeks of concentrated work is more valuable than any signing: the squad is already sufficient.
That outcome should remain entirely acceptable. Transfer activity is not improvement by definition. The best recruitment departments know when not to recruit.
The next two weeks should provide the evidence
Imanol is considering a behind-closed-doors training match to create something closer to competitive conditions for the players remaining at Rentis. That would give him another controlled environment for experimentation before Olympiacos return to a demanding sequence of matches.
The derby with Panathinaikos arrives immediately after the break. European football follows. The schedule will quickly stop providing time for experimentation.
So this is Imanol's window. Not the official transfer window. His evaluation window.
Bailey. Mouandilmadji. Sá. The fringe players. The tactical structure. The physical condition of the squad.
Olympiacos have apparently left one place at the table open if their new coach believes somebody is missing.
The next decision should therefore be simple in principle, even if difficult in practice.
Do not sign the most interesting player available. Identify the problem first — and only sign someone if he actually solves it.
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