Fotis Ioannidis insists he is not currently ‘thinking’ about a potential summer switch to Celtic with his focus on helping Panathinaikos claim the Greek Super League title, speaking to Sport24.
Despite the January arrival of Oh Hyeon-Gyu, scorer of a wonderful diving header during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Hibernian, a Hoops side who lost Giorgios Giakoumakis recently are expected to bring in another number nine during the summer window.
And Ioannidis, while not the most prolific of centre-forwards, would certainly give Ange Postecoglou a different sort of presence in the final third, SportDog reporting that he has been on their radar for a while now.
The Greek international is, according to Athletic Radio, the ‘most influential player in the league’ at present.
“Through hard work, passion, stubbornness and persistence, he managed to develop into an absolute protagonist for Panathinaikos,” they write.
Celtic like Panathiniakos and Greece striker Fotis IoannidisIoannidis’ excellent link-play and tremendous work ethic would appeal to Ange Postecoglou; a coach who sees his centre-forward not merely as a goalscorer but also the first line of defence. Ioannidis’ contract, meanwhile, expires in the summer of 2024. Unless a new deal can be agreed, Panathinaikos may be forced to sell the 23-year-old for a knock-down fee.
Ioannidis, however, is not letting all the uncertainty distract him from the task at hand. Namely, helping Panathinaikos end their 12-year wait for a Super League title, while ensuring his country begin their Euro 2024 qualification campaign with three points against the minnows of Gibraltar on Friday.
“At the moment my mind is only on Panathinaikos and the national team,” Ioannidis says. “I am not thinking about the future. First, let the season end and then we will look at what’s next.”
Ioannidis, meanwhile, believes he has not even scratched the surface of his potential. As excellent as his form currently is, a tally of five goals and four assists from 33 games is not exactly fearsome.
“I am happy to improve continuously. Year by year, game by game,” he adds.
“This is my goal, to help my team as much as I can, both Panathinaikos and the national team. It goes without saying that I can offer even more. I know it, as well as my team-mates. It’s only a matter of time before I start improving and playing at an even higher level.”
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