Jakirović's Hull Secures Record Signing
The newly promoted English top-flight club paid £20 million for Konstantinos Tzolakis, and the Greek giants are now looking for a replacement among Croatian internationals.
The newly promoted English top-flight club paid £20 million for Konstantinos Tzolakis, and the Greek giants are now looking for a replacement among Croatian internationals.
Croatian coach Sergej Jakirović and his Hull City, who secured promotion to the Premier League last season, have received a major boost for the upcoming campaign. The club has signed Greek international goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis from Olympiacos for a club-record fee.
Although the clubs have not officially confirmed the financial details, according to information from Večernji list, the 23-year-old will cost Hull £20 million, or just over €23 million. This amount broke the previous record from 2016, when the Tigers paid Tottenham £13 million for Ryan Mason.
Tzolakis has spent his entire senior career at Olympiacos, for whom he has made 131 appearances since his debut in 2020. With the club from Piraeus, he has won eight trophies, including four Greek Super League titles and the historic UEFA Conference League in the 2023-24 season. A month after the European triumph, he made his debut for the Greek national team against Malta and has since earned nine caps. He has signed a five-year contract with Hull.
In a statement to BBC Football, the new Hull City goalkeeper did not hide his enthusiasm. "I am ready for a new chapter in my career. With Olympiacos, I had a successful career with the Conference League title, the championship, and the cup, as well as European matches and the Champions League. Hull City is something different because we play in the Premier League. We have to compete against top players, so that is a challenge for me. I feel ready," said Tzolakis.
He added that he will give his all in training every day to help the team achieve its goals and that he is excited to be in England because the Premier League is "the biggest stage." Tzolakis has already left Olympiacos' preparations, completed his medical in Athens, and should soon join his new teammates in England.
The departure of their first-choice goalkeeper has prompted the Greek giants to search for a new number one, and two Croatian internationals have come into focus. As reported by Večernji list, Olympiacos reportedly already has an agreement with Fenerbahçe for Dominik Livaković, but the goalkeeper himself rejected that option. However, Tzolakis' transfer could reopen the door for negotiations.
The other name mentioned is Dominik Kotarski, Livaković's backup in the national team. Kotarski wants to leave Copenhagen after just one season, and he already has experience playing in Greece as a former PAOK goalkeeper, where he was one of the league's best. Olympiacos believes that a return to Greece could be a winning combination for both parties.
