Krasnodar have reopened negotiations with Olympiacos for Gelson Martins | OneFootball

Rubén Vargas is being pursued because Olympiacos want more quality on the wing. That much is clear.

Selling Gelson Martins at the same moment would change the logic. Ivan Karpov now reports Krasnodar have reopened negotiations with Olympiacos for the Portuguese winger. If those talks become serious, Olympiacos will have to decide whether the winger rebuild is intended to upgrade the group or simply replace one established player with another.

He started against Atromitos. This is a player central to the coach’s plans. His direct running and one-versus-one ability continue to give Olympiacos a different weapon, particularly in matches where opponents leave transition space. Earlier Greek reporting had also said Mendilibar preferred to retain Gelson, especially given his usefulness from the right. That makes any sale something requiring a genuinely attractive financial reason rather than simple roster clearing.

Vargas and Gelson are not identical players

Vargas is being pursued primarily as a left-sided attacking solution. Gelson is most naturally useful on the right. Signing Vargas and retaining Gelson could therefore improve both sides of the attack simultaneously. Selling Gelson after acquiring Vargas might increase quality in one area while reducing depth in another. Olympiacos should not automatically treat the transfers as connected one-for-one.

Age makes a sale worth considering

Gelson is 31. If Krasnodar eventually return with a meaningful fee, Olympiacos have to consider the asset cycle.

This may be one of the final windows where a club is prepared to pay significant money for him.

Selling at the right number could be rational if Olympiacos have a clear replacement and believe younger players such as Roca or Sá can absorb more minutes.

But €4–5m—the territory previously reported—was not enough to persuade Olympiacos in June.

There is also a competitive-window issue

The domestic season has started. Vargas is not signed. Olympiacos cannot afford to sell a starting winger on the assumption that another deal will definitely close. The sequencing should be critical.

If Vargas or another high-level winger is completed first, Olympiacos have more freedom. If not, moving Gelson risks reducing Mendilibar’s immediate attacking options during an already chaotic integration period.

Krasnodar’s persistence suggests their interest is genuine

They tried earlier. Olympiacos rejected them. They have returned.

That normally means either the buyer is prepared to improve its proposal or believes circumstances at the selling club have changed. We do not yet know which is true. Karpov has not reported a new figure. So the useful new information is simply that negotiations are alive again.