The Levi García envisioned by Matias Almeida has been fired, but there is room for higher flights. The perfect solution might be a different type of attacker on his side.
The Novipet Hellenic Cup final and winning the cup is what Matias Almeida is mainly interested in, but he is such a versatile person that it is impossible not to spend a lot of time outside of his daily coaching duties, in order to have a big part in the planning for the upcoming season.
There are many positions that the Argentine coach occupies, so today let’s deal with the position of the striker. And so, in subsequent reports …
Almeida saw from the beginning in Levi Garcia One of the best fishermen inside and outside the region. He took him from the sideline – in essence a departure from the idea that Sokratis Ofrydopoulos ran him out of necessity in last year’s playoffs – and helped him transform into a forward who was “a bad time” to oppose.
With 18 goals and 6 assists, until today with the final awaiting, in the League and the Cup, Levay had the most productive season of his career.
An extension of its cooperation with AEK – which ends in the summer of 2025 with Beitar Jerusalem retaining 40% of its rights until then for an amount of more than €2.2 million – is taken for granted. So that the player is also rewarded for his development with better earnings.
He has the lowest contract among the team’s best players, in short he gets less than Zuber, Araujo, Jasinovic, Amrabat, Pineda, Johnson, Mandalo, Vida.
AEK’s intention is not to sell him for less than €18m, which seems to have been asked by Montpellier who have shown willing to pay up to €10m for the Trinidad and Tobago footballer.
So there is a very serious possibility that he will continue in Al-Ittihad for the next season as well, which is something the coach definitely wants. But what happens in this case?
Being assisted in becoming a first class striker
Almeida, looking forward, spoke of Garcia’s firing. A piece of it was found this year.
But there is still a big margin and the Argentine is not going to cut it, on the contrary, he will look for a way to get it off the ground.
In this context, the search for a striker is already in place, with the aim not to expel Levy from the squad, but to match him in different formations than we have seen this year.
AEK is in need of an easy-going striker, who nonetheless has Garcia’s skill in team play.
Van Wert is a great performer, but perhaps not the type of attacker who can quite match Almeida’s approach.
He has an extra year contract, but everything is open to him. After all, the 20-year-old Zinni is highly regarded by the coach, who wants to work with him in summer training and bring him more into the team climate as a useful substitute for next season.
The European adventure and the Champions League challenge require good additions, but not many. AEK will move 4-5 players with potential rookie status, one of whom will be an attacker.
From there, much will depend on the Pineda case. Young players with talent and potential will also be added to the roster to fill positions where changes may occur, either as contracts expire or players committed to them leave.
We have a lot to look forward to and analyze based on the rationale Almeida has already outlined.
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