Olympiacos: Tiknizian in Athens to seal transfer

Nairi Tiknizian arrived in Athens on the morning of Monday 17 August 2026 on a flight from Belgrade, in order to complete his transfer to Olympiacos. According to Newsit.gr, iefimerida.gr and TA NEA, the two clubs reached an agreement with Red Star Belgrade for a fee exceeding five million euros. The 27-year-old Armenia international plays as a left-back and is expected to undergo a medical before signing his contract. The terms of the personal agreement and the length of the contract have not been officially announced by the club. The player is expected to join training immediately once the formalities are completed, while his availability for European matches depends on the player registration deadlines set by UEFA.

The transfer fills a specific gap. Tiknizian arrives as the replacement for Francisco Ortega at left-back, a position which in the modern game demands defensive solidity and constant attacking supply at the same time. The Armenian has a record in leagues with European exposure and has played in the group stages of European competitions, experience that carries weight for a side with a settled presence in Europe. Red Star play in the Serbian league and take part regularly in the qualifying rounds of European competitions, so the player is coming from a comparable footballing environment in terms of intensity and tempo.

The move comes in a summer of intense transfer activity for Greek clubs, with the transfer window approaching its close at the end of August. According to iefimerida.gr, Olympiacos are at the same time close to a second signing, although there has been no official confirmation. The time pressure is twofold, as clubs must have their squads completed before the crucial European fixtures and the start of the league season. Transfers of this size rank among the highest fees a Greek club has spent this summer, although the financial structure of the deal has not been officially made public by either side. The left-back position was among the club’s first priorities after the departure of its previous occupant, since the lack of an alternative in a role with high physical demands creates risk over the course of a long season.

By the morning of Monday 17 August 2026 there had been no official announcement from either club, nor any disclosure of the exact structure of the deal, that is whether it includes variable amounts or a sell-on percentage. TodayGrid consistently records developments involving Greek and foreign athletes on Greek and European pitches, as in the report «Tzolis: two assists on his Arsenal debut». More on the Sport page. The transfer window in Greece closes at the end of August, so the time left for further moves is now limited.