'Clearly a mistake': Star told he made a big error with £20m Newcastle transfer
10/10/2024 11:15 AM
If you were to rank the oddest deals of the summer transfer window, the reported £20 million transfer Newcastle United completed would surely take a place on the podium.
It was a transfer that not only raised eyebrows in England – for the price as well as the fact it happened in the first place – but also back in his homeland.
Odysseas Vlachodimos, the German-born Greek international, spent much of the 2023/24 season on the Nottingham Forest bench.
And unless Nick Pope picks up a long-term injury, it is hard to imagine Vlachodimos matching even a meagure tally of five Premier League appearances in Forest colours in his new Tyneside home.
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has handed Vlachodimos only one appearance so far, and that came in the Carabao Cup. The former Benfica glovesman was even left out of Newcastle’s squad for the first six games of the league campaign, only appearing on the bench after Martin Dubravka was ruled out.
Vlachodimos swapped Nottingham Forest for a similar role at Newcastle United. And, as far as Greek commentator Christos Sotirakopoulos is concerned, that was a pretty odd career move.
Odysseas Vlachodimos’ Newcastle United move was ‘a mistake’
“He is a first-class goalkeeper who stands out above all for his inner calm,” Christos Sotirakopoulos tells Kicker. “He always remains calm and composed. Vlachodimos is a top keeper from a very good generation of goalkeepers in Greece.
“[But joining Newcastle was] clearly a mistake. He could have moved to Germany, Spain or Italy. There were plenty of offers.”
Of course, no discussion over Vlachodimos’ puzzling £20 million transfer can be complete without mention of Financial Fair Play.
It is surely no coincidence that Newcastle and Nottingham Forest – two clubs under threat of Profit and Sustainability Sanctions – traded Vlachodimos and Elliot Anderson in the lead up to July’s deadline.
But, while Newcastle ensured that they would avoid the sort of points deduction that hit Forest and Everton last term, such an arrangement does not do Vlachodimos much good.
Vlachodimos may be Eddie Howe’s third-choice goalkeeper
“At Benfica, he stood between the posts for a top team for five years,” Sotirakopoulos adds, fearing that Vlachodimos could pay with his spot as the starting goalkeeper for the Greek national team. “Even if he had played for Nottingham Forest [he would have been better off].
“I don’t know the circumstances of the expensive move to Newcastle well enough. [But] of course, as long as he is not playing for the club, the competition will get closer and closer.
“For example, 21-year-old Kostas Tzolakis plays domestically and in Europe for Olympiakos and is constantly improving. He won the Europa Conference League in May. At some point the point will come when the coach will also put the performance principle first.”
Vlachodimos was linked with Newcastle during his Benfica days too. His reputation suffered, however, as he struggled to make a positive impression at Nottingham Forest.
Despite a fine performance in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa in late-2023, he quickly lost his place after a couple of costly errors. And, when Howe was asked about Vlachodimos’ omission from the matchday squad at the start of the season, his response was simple and not overly positive.
"He's fighting for a place."
