According to reports in Greece (h/t Chronicle Live), Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in left-back Dimitris Giannoulis, who currently plies his trade with giants PAOK in his homeland.
As per the report, agents are at work to take the 24-year-old Greek international to the North East of England but nothing has been finalized just yet.
Dimitris Giannoulis started his professional career with lower-division club Vataniakos in his homeland before being snapped up by PAOK back in 2014. Loan spells at Pierikos and Veria in Greece were followed by a temporary stint at Anorthosis in Cyprus before the left-back returned to his homeland and spent 18 months at Atromitos.
Giannoulis established himself as a regular for Atromitos in the Greek top-flight and was named in the 2017-18 Super League Team of the Year. The 24-year-old was eventually recalled from his loan spell and handed his professional debut for PAOK during the second half of the 2018-19 campaign.
The 7-cap Greek international registered a goal and 6 assists in 44 appearances for PAOK across all competitions last season.
Jetro Willems had been roped in on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer to sort out the club’s nagging issue in the left-back department. The Dutch international was one of the standout performers for the Magpies during the first half of the 2019-20 season before a serious injury in January brought a premature end to his campaign.
Newcastle signed Danny Rose on loan from Tottenham in the winter market to replace Willems. But the England international struggled for consistency and wasn’t really up to the mark.
Steve Bruce, of course, has someone like Paul Dummett, who can play both at left-back and centre-back, while Matt Ritchie is also capable of playing as a wing-back down that side.
However, recruiting a specialist in that department should be a top priority for Newcastle. They largely relied on temporary solutions to address their left-back conundrum last season. And it’s high time for them to invest in a long-term option.
Suffice to say, Newcastle need a new left-back and Giannoulis’ impressive performances in the Greek top-flight should prompt the Magpies to take a punt on him this summer. The 24-year-old still has his best years ahead of him.
Giannoulis could provide the Magpies with some long-term stability at left-back if he manages to get to grips with the English game. This is something Bruce should be looking at.
The difference between the Premier League and the Greek top-flight is massive, both in terms of competition and intensity. Hence, there is a fair element of risk involved in this move. But Newcastle shouldn’t hesitate to strike a deal for Dimitris Giannoulis if they genuinely believe he is capable of thriving in England.