Olympiacos reach agreement with Genoa for Morten Frendrup
- Thrylos 7 Intl Team
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Olympiacos' pursuit of Morten Frendrup has reached the point where this is no longer simply another name on a transfer list. The club are reportedly prepared to make a substantial investment in the Genoa midfielder, while Edson Álvarez remains firmly in the picture. That creates a fascinating decision because although both can strengthen José Luis Mendilibar's midfield, the data suggests they would do so in very different ways. And when their respective statistical profiles are placed alongside each other, the argument tilts toward Álvarez.
If Olympiacos can trust his body. That last qualification is important. But purely from a footballing perspective, Álvarez looks like the more complete solution.
Frendrup is an elite defensive disruptor
First, the case for Frendrup is extremely strong in one particular area. His Serie A percentile profile screams ball winner. Among Serie A central/defensive midfielders with 1,000+ minutes, Frendrup ranks in the:
97.9th percentile for interceptions89.5th percentile for defensive duels won74.7th percentile for shots blocked
Those are exceptional defensive numbers.
And they help explain why Frendrup has accumulated so many minutes in Italy. Opta records 3,089 Serie A minutes last season after 3,107 in 2024/25 and 3,149 in 2023/24. This is not a midfielder whose defensive reputation is based on highlights. He repeatedly finds the ball. He contests possession. He closes spaces.
He disrupts attacks.
For Mendilibar, those qualities have obvious value. Olympiacos want to defend forward. Their press inevitably creates moments when midfielders must cover large spaces behind the initial pressure, and Frendrup possesses the mobility and defensive activity to survive those situations.
Put him beside Santiago Hezze and Olympiacos could create an extremely aggressive midfield without the ball.
But there is another side to the profile.
Frendrup's limitations appear when Olympiacos have possession
This is where the comparison becomes more complicated. Frendrup ranks only in the: 20.0th percentile for progressive passing,15.8th percentile for passes into the final third,15.8th percentile for progressive carries, 7.4th percentile for 1v1 dribble wins, 5.3rd percentile for completed passes into the penalty area.
His 44.2 percentile for passing volume is relatively ordinary. There are positives. His 74.7 percentile pass accuracy is respectable, while his 58.4 percentile smart passing suggests there is more technical intelligence there than some of the other possession metrics initially imply.
But the overall picture is difficult to ignore. Frendrup looks much more like a midfielder who wins possession than one who controls possession. That distinction matters for Olympiacos. In Serie A, Genoa frequently operate against teams capable of controlling the ball themselves.
Olympiacos face a very different domestic reality. They are often expected to dominate territory, circulate possession against compact defensive blocks and find ways through opponents who have little interest in opening the game. A midfielder arriving in Piraeus therefore needs to be evaluated not simply on whether he can defend.
He needs to help Olympiacos play. And that is where Álvarez becomes particularly interesting.
Álvarez gives Olympiacos considerably more with the ball
Álvarez's Europa League profile is strikingly different. He ranked in the: 95.4th percentile for passes attempted, 86.2nd percentile for pass accuracy, 87.4th percentile for passes into the final third, 85.6th percentile for progressive carries.
That is a completely different possession profile from Frendrup. Álvarez can become the midfielder through whom Olympiacos circulate the ball. He can receive from the centre-backs. He can recycle possession. He can move the ball through midfield.
And critically, he appears much more comfortable advancing possession into higher areas. His progressive-passing percentile itself is relatively ordinary at 49.4, and his smart passing is only 26.4, so we shouldn't suddenly characterize him as a deep-lying playmaker.
He isn't. But he doesn't have to be. Olympiacos already have players capable of providing creativity.
What Mendilibar potentially needs is a defensive midfielder capable of winning the ball and then reliably connecting the defensive and attacking phases. Álvarez's profile suggests he can do both.
And remarkably, Olympiacos wouldn't sacrifice the defending
This may be the biggest argument in his favor. Normally choosing the better possession midfielder means accepting some reduction in defensive output. Not here. Álvarez's Europa League profile puts him in the:
94.3rd percentile for interceptions, 95.4th percentile for shots blocked, 85.1st percentile for defensive duels won, 83.9th percentile for aerial duels won
Frendrup's interception and defensive-duel numbers are slightly better. But the difference isn't enormous.
The difference in possession is. That changes the comparison. Frendrup gives Olympiacos an exceptional ground-covering defensive midfielder.
Álvarez potentially gives them a very good defensive midfielder plus considerably greater involvement in buildup. There is also an aerial dimension that shouldn't be overlooked. Frendrup sits around the 43rd percentile for aerials won. Álvarez is around the 84th. For a Mendilibar team, that has real tactical value.
Second balls matter. Long clearances matter. Set pieces matter. Winning direct balls through midfield matters.
Álvarez's physical profile gives Olympiacos another tool Frendrup simply cannot replicate to the same degree.
There is even more offensive upside than expected
Neither player should be recruited for his attacking production. But Álvarez's Europa League numbers contain another interesting difference. He ranked in the 80.5th percentile for xG, 76.4th for assists and 71.3rd for combined xG+xA. Frendrup's Serie A attacking production is extremely limited: 3.7th percentile xG6.3rd percentile xA2.6th percentile xG+xA
Different competitions and roles mean those numbers shouldn't be compared as though they came from identical environments. They don't. But they reinforce the broader point. Álvarez appears capable of influencing more phases of a match.
So why isn't the choice obvious?
Because football recruitment isn't conducted on a spreadsheet. And Álvarez has one significant question attached to him: availability.
His previous season was disrupted by ankle problems during his loan at Fenerbahçe. Reporting around his West Ham situation says two ankle injuries between January and May contributed to him playing only 18 matches and 1,126 minutes during the loan.
Compare that with Frendrup. More than 3,000 league minutes in each of the last three Serie A seasons.
That is extraordinary reliability. And suddenly the decision becomes much more nuanced.
Frendrup represents certainty.
He is 25.
He has demonstrated remarkable durability.
He provides elite defensive activity.
He has Serie A experience.
And his game appears naturally suited to the intensity Mendilibar demands.
Álvarez represents the higher ceiling for this particular Olympiacos squad.
He provides defensive quality.
Aerial strength.
Far greater passing involvement.
More ball progression.
Greater physical presence.
And experience at the highest international and European levels.
But Olympiacos need reasonable confidence that they can keep him on the pitch.
That makes Álvarez the better option — with one major condition
If both players were equally healthy and available at roughly comparable financial terms, Edson Álvarez is better for Olympiacos.
Not because Frendrup isn't good enough. Quite the opposite. The numbers suggest Frendrup could become an outstanding defensive presence. But Olympiacos aren't simply looking for somebody to destroy opposition attacks. They need a midfielder capable of functioning in matches where they have 60 or 65 percent possession, while still being able to survive the much more violent transitional football they encounter in Europe.
Álvarez's profile appears better suited to doing both.
Frendrup's numbers are concentrated heavily toward one end of the field. Álvarez's aren't. There is an especially revealing contrast:
Frendrup — Interceptions: 97.9 | Passes to Final Third: 15.8
Álvarez — Interceptions: 94.3 | Passes to Final Third: 87.4
That may be the entire argument condensed into two statistics. lympiacos sacrifice very little defensive output with Álvarez while potentially gaining enormously in possession. And there is another tactical possibility.
Imagine a European match where Mendilibar fields Álvarez behind Hezze and Mouzakitis.
Álvarez provides the positional anchor and aerial security. Hezze attacks second balls and presses. Mouzakitis receives greater freedom to progress possession and create. That midfield has balance. Against weaker Greek opposition, Álvarez can become the platform allowing the players ahead of him to take greater risks. That is probably more valuable to this particular Olympiacos squad than adding another extremely aggressive ball winner.
But the medical examination would become part of the transfer evaluation
At the reported investment level, Olympiacos cannot treat Álvarez's recent injury history as a footnote.
It should be one of the deciding factors. If the medical staff believes his ankle issues were situational, have been properly resolved and do not present a significant recurrence risk, Álvarez looks like the superior signing.
If there are legitimate concerns about his ability to handle a 45-to-55-match season, the calculation changes dramatically. Because Frendrup offers something extraordinarily valuable himself:
availability. The best defensive midfielder in the squad isn't particularly useful if he spends significant portions of the season unavailable. And Frendrup has demonstrated year after year that Genoa can put him on the pitch.
That is why we should not characterize this as Olympiacos choosing between a good midfielder and a bad one.
They may actually be choosing between:
the safer player — Frendrup
and
the more complete player — Álvarez.
If the medical information gives Olympiacos confidence in Álvarez's durability, though, the statistical profiles push me toward the Mexican. Frendrup may be the better pure ball winner. Álvarez looks like the better defensive midfielder for what Olympiacos actually need.
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