A change in agent is reported to be behind claims that Giorgos Giakoumakis is looking for an improved contract or a transfer out of Celtic.
After playing for three clubs in three seasons it looked like the striker had hit the jackpot last summer when he signed a five year Celtic contract in a deal worth around £2.5m to relegated Dutch side VVV Venlo.
Following a slow start Giakoumakis has been Celtic’s leading scorer this calendar year with the strikes that pushed the hoops towards last season’s SPFL title and some crucial goals this season to open up a nine point gap at the top of the Premiership table.
With Kyogo Furuhashi also fully fit Ange Postecoglou has split the striking duties this season with both men offering contrasting styles that deliver goals for themselves and team-mates.
Over the last 10 days reports have surfaced about unhappiness over the current contract that Giakoumakis has with Celtic, cutting to the root of the issue Sportime in Greece reveals:
Sportime had reported again that Giorgos Giakoumakis wants to transfer to the Premier League. This time, by changing his agent, the Greek striker takes it one step further.
First of all (and completely coincidentally), he just turned 28 yesterday! He is only in his second year at Celtic and has already won the league, League Cup, playing in the groups of the Champions League . He feels that once the two-year cycle is over, he needs other performances, another championship air.
Let alone the Glasgow weather which is not in keeping with the family mood. Do not forget that he is paid almost 300 thousand net per year and “seeing” the -adas to yoke, he is looking for the life contract!
And this year, Giakoumakis does not stop scoring , being the first violin in the attack of the Celts (24 matches/9 goals).
Ange Postecoglou has created a protection mechanism for him since last year and now Giorgos Giakoumakis is absolutely following his footsteps. Only the ambition for a bigger league/contract does not say to abandon him.
The 28-year-old Cretan, after 6-7 years of cooperation with Emmanuelidis-Pathiakakis, signed a cooperation contract with BHM Sports Agency with CEO Blash Hosseini and the blessings of his teammate, Karl Starflett , now being equal. The company in question has been terribly involved in the last 3 years with Swedish players and deals abroad and collaborated with Celtic in the 5 million Starfelt deal from Rubin Kazan!
So is Giakoumakis leaving Celtic? The point is that the “Celts” have always been a tough nut to crack in negotiations and will hardly make discounts below 6-7 thousand for Giakoumakis.
Something is lost in Google Translation but the gist of the story is fairly clear with the striker, who turned 28 during the week, realising that his stock is unlikely to be higher to attain a contract in excess of the deal he signed in August 2021 when he left VVV Venlo for Celtic. A switch of agent suggests that he feels let down by the deal he signed up to joining Celtic.
— Giannis Chorianopoulos (@choria80) December 10, 2022
He is a greedy bastard get him punted and out the door before he upsets the full team with petulant childish demands.
He has to choose between improving as a footballer and raising a higher salary. If he doesn’t improve, he wont realise his potential and that would be a mistake, in my opinion!
£300k net suggests he is on less than £12k per week. I thought Celtic players were on £20k anyway, and some time ago. Could be false numbers?!
increase his bonus to score more goals seems a low wage football wise and as we know centre forwards who score goals are not cheap better to sort out a better deal for player and club if not he will go .
So early into a lengthy contract, a player has minimal negotiating power – other than ‘downing tools’.
I take this story with a bucketful of salt.
However, if he keeps performing, then ‘maybe’ next December would be the time to start talks?