Man United and Arsenal 'fall behind Premier League rival' in race for £34m-rated Greek wonderkid, 18

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Manchester United and Arsenal have reportedly dropped behind Brighton in the battle to sign Olympiacos wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas.
The forward, who turned 18 on Friday, scored six goals and provided two assists this season as he helped the Greek champions to a domestic double.
Kostoulas has represented Greece at under-21 level and won the youth Champions League last year before regularly featuring in the Greek Super League and Europa League this season.
The young star is contracted at the Greek giants until 2030 but has been linked with a Premier League switch, with United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa reportedly all interested, as well as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
But Brighton have raced into the lead and could be forced to smash their transfer record to secure his signature, according to The Sun.
Olympiacos are said to be holding out for a large fee, in the region of £42-£46million, and will insist that a significant release clause is included in any transfer.
Brighton's current transfer record is a £40m fee - which they paid for Georginio Rutter from Leeds last summer.
The Seagulls previously offered Olympiacos around £30million plus Abdallah Sima for the in-demand attacker which was rejected, with the Greek side reluctant to lose one of Europe's hottest talents.
But Brighton are pressing ahead and could complete a transfer as soon as next Wednesday, with the summer window opening for ten days on Sunday.
It comes as a blow for Man United, who are looking to bolster their attack, with Rasmus Hojlund misfiring and Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford set to leave.
Arsenal are also desperate for a striker after an injury-ravaged campaign which saw midfielder Mikel Merino forced to deputise as an emergency striker.
Kostoulas could become the most expensive Greek footballer ever, pipping Kostas Manolas' £30m move to Napoli in 2019.
Earlier this year, Fabian Hurzeler's side paid £22m for 19-year-old Stefanos Tzimas from Nuremberg, making him the second most costly Greek player ever.
Christos Mouzakitis, another young talent from Olympiacos, is also reportedly being targeted by Brighton.
While United, Villa, Wolves, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund are also said to be monitoring the 18-year-old.