By George Orfanakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos wants to acquire a guard that will strengthen its perimeter and provide important helps to Nick Calathes with the name of Marko Popovic being high in the list of the club.
For the transfer to be completed, Panathinaikos has to overcome certain obstacles that mostly have to do with what Fuenlabrada asks to release the player. The Spanish club has requested a sum around 200.000 euros to release the player, a price that is considered to be a bit extreme by the Greens.
On Sunday, the player’s agent, Obrad Fimic, will contact the Fuenlabrada management with the purpose of convincing the club to reduce its demands, so that the Croatian guard can become available for Panathinaikos.
After today’s game between Fuenlabrada and Valencia, in which he scored 12 points, Popovic said that: “I’m a player of Fuenlabrada. If an offer comes for me then I will sit with the people of the club to see what they want and what I want.”
His coach, Jota Cuspinera was also asked about the whole matter. “Noone from Panathinaikos has contacted us. There is no case for us,” was his answer.
Panathinaikos has contacted the player’s side in order to inform him about what the financial deal between them might be, since if Popovic ultimately wears the Greens’ jersey then he will receive less money than the 400.000 euros he earns in Fuenlabrada.
Everything will become more clear during the upcoming crucial days. There’s a certain degree of urgency in Panathinaikos’ camp, given the injury of Mike James and the fact that Nick Calathes has been working…overtime in the team’s perimeter.