PAOK Salonica insists on Alfred Finnbogason
The Greek club, PAOK Salonica, wants the international forward from Iceland at all costs for the next season, and in the last hours has met again with Real Sociedad to obtain his loan. The Real Sociedad is looking for an exit for him because David Moyes has made it clear that he wants a forward with different characteristics than Finnbogason, as he already has Imanol Agirretxe with that scoring profile. That's why Real Sociedad is listening to offers and is open to negotiate. Several European clubs are interested in the Icelandic striker, but only PAOK Salonica has officially approached Real Sociedad to request his loan.
They already did it in June, and in the last hours they have insisted again. A couple of days ago, the new general manager of PAOK Salonica, Frank Arnesen, who until last season held the same position at Chelsea, met with Jokin Aperribay, the president of Real Sociedad, to bring the parties closer together. The Greek club has expressed its total willingness to take on the full salary of Finnbogason, which amounts to approximately one million euros. But Real Sociedad responded with the possibility that, in addition, they pay a certain amount for his loan for the coming campaign. And there lies the main problem and the main obstacle for Real Sociedad to close the departure of the Icelandic forward to Greece. Because PAOK Salonica has no intention of paying any amount to Real Sociedad for his loan. At least not yet.
Because Arnesen, the general manager of PAOK, has already chosen Finnbogason as the forward he wants for the next season and is willing to negotiate until the end and wait as long as possible to take him to Greece. Arnesen is the new main person in charge of the Greek club's signings and is obliged to sign a striker, especially after the serious injury suffered by the starting center forward of PAOK last season, who will be out for about six months. The need is pressing for PAOK, which, yes, due to the unstable situation in Greece, will not take any further steps until next week. In Greece, it is even said that it may be key to closing the loan with Real Sociedad.
And in the midst of the negotiation is Alfred Finnbogason himself, who is currently focused on Iceland these days to qualify for Euro 2016. The Icelander has not yet started pre-season under Moyes' orders. When the concentration is over, he will join Scotland's stage and there he will be informed of the club's intentions and the possibilities he has to play next week.
Initially, Finnbogason wants to stay at Real Sociedad, but if Moyes is not going to guarantee him minutes, he will have to accept going on loan, probably to Greece, in order to have opportunities that lead to being included in Iceland's final squad for the Euro 2016.
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