Olympiacos are reportedly interested in signing Apollon Smyrnis centre-forward Manolis Solanakis, as the Greek champions begin shaping their squad plans for next season.
Greek reports suggest the 31-year-old is on Olympiacos’ radar, with a move to Piraeus described as a real possibility. At this stage, however, nothing has been confirmed, and Solanakis remains an Apollon Smyrnis player.
The potential move would be a significant one within Greek water polo. Solanakis is not only one of Apollon’s most important players, but also the club captain. He is currently in his sixth season with the club and fourth as captain, underlining his status as one of the key figures in the team’s recent history.
A strong, experienced centre-forward, Solanakis joined Apollon in 2020 after a spell with Steaua Bucharest, where he had won the Romanian title. His arrival came during an ambitious period for Apollon, who were building a squad capable of competing more seriously both domestically and in Europe.
Since then, Solanakis has become closely associated with Apollon’s rise. He was part of the team that won the inaugural Challenger Cup in 2023, the first European trophy in the club’s history, and has helped establish Apollon as a consistent force in both the Greek league and European competition.
Room could also open up for Solanakis in the Olympiacos squad if other expected moves materialise. With Dimitris Nikolaidis widely linked with Panathinaikos and Konstantinos Kakaris expected to join Ferencvaros, Olympiacos may need to reshape their centre-forward options for next season. In that context, Solanakis would represent an experienced and proven domestic option, capable of adding depth, physicality and leadership at two metres.
For Olympiacos, the reported interest would make sense. The Piraeus club have continued to compete on multiple fronts domestically and in Europe, and adding an experienced Greek centre-forward would strengthen both their rotation and squad depth.
For now, though, the story remains at the rumour stage. Solanakis has been a central figure at Apollon for several years, and any move to Olympiacos would represent one of the more notable domestic transfers of the summer window.
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