Panathinaikos is continuing its search for a midfielder who can add quality, intensity and creative play to the center of the park, with the central midfield position remaining one of the club's top transfer priorities.
Several names have circulated in recent reports, with three players tied most closely to the club: Matias Jensen, Jens Stage and Ognjen Ugrešić. Other players have also emerged as possibilities because of their playing style or circumstances in the transfer market. The five profiles share one common thread: Panathinaikos wants a midfielder who can offer more in the middle of the pitch.
Matias Jensen: the experience and quality Nistrup wants
Matias Jensen, the Danish midfielder at Brentford, is the name that has featured most heavily in Panathinaikos transfer reporting. The 30-year-old has been high on the club's list, with coach Jacob Nistrup familiar with his qualities and rating him highly.
Jensen can operate as a number 8, help circulate the ball, deliver accurate passes under pressure and link the lines of the team. He also brings experience from the top level of English football and from the Denmark national team.
The move is not straightforward, though. Despite reports linking him strongly to Panathinaikos, recent reporting from England indicates there have been no talks between Brentford and the Greek club. If a path opened up to advance the deal, Jensen would represent a signing with clear leading qualities.
Jens Stage: power and intensity as a number 8
Another Dane linked with Panathinaikos is Jens Stage. The Werder Bremen midfielder offers a different profile to Jensen, with pronounced physical attributes and the ability to bring high energy to central midfield.
Stage can play as a central midfielder or in a more defensive role, and his capacity to cover ground and contribute at both ends of the pitch makes him an interesting option for a team looking for more intensity in the middle of the park.
His name has been mentioned in connection with Panathinaikos, with reports presenting him as one of the alternatives for the position. His case is not simple financially, however. Stage carries significant market value and contract terms, which would make any move for him demanding for Panathinaikos.
Ognjen Ugrešić: an investment with a high ceiling
If the two Danes represent more experienced options, Ognjen Ugrešić is the case that combines the present with the future. The 20-year-old Serbian, who plays for Partizan Belgrade, has developed into one of the most interesting midfielders in the Serbian league.
He plays mainly as a box-to-box midfielder, brings intensity to his game and can contribute in both the defensive and attacking phases. Ugrešić has drawn interest from Panathinaikos as well as from clubs abroad. Sassuolo reportedly submitted a bid worth 7 million euros plus 1 million euros in bonuses, with Partizan said to be concerned mainly about the payment structure.
For Panathinaikos, he would represent a different kind of choice: less experience, but significant room for development and the potential to become a valuable asset in the years ahead.
Mattias Svanberg and Ivan Ilić: two further alternatives
Mattias Svanberg is another name worth including in any discussion of central midfielders with the qualities Panathinaikos is seeking. The 27-year-old Swede has played at a high level with Wolfsburg and operates mainly as a number 8, with the ability to push further up the pitch. He is known for his intensity, running and ability to get into the opposition box.
Last season he made 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists, as Wolfsburg were relegated to Germany's second division. His contract runs out next summer, a factor that could affect the terms of any deal. Svanberg would give Panathinaikos more presence from midfield along with experience from a top-level league.
Ivan Ilić is another interesting case. The 25-year-old Serbian belongs to Torino and plays as a central midfielder, able to operate in both a more defensive and a more creative role. Left-footed and 1.86 meters tall, Ilić offers a different set of qualities, geared more toward building attacks through the first and second pass, carrying the ball forward and adding technical quality in midfield. He already has significant experience in Serie A and is a Serbia international.
His situation has become more interesting following recent developments at Torino. According to the latest reports from Italy, Ilić is now outside the plans of coach Ignazio Abate, with the Italian club looking for offers for him. The fact that Abate is not counting on him changes the picture and creates conditions for a possible transfer. Torino want to find a buyer for him so as not to lose him for free in 2027, when his contract expires.
For Panathinaikos, should interest develop, Ilić would represent a signing with significant experience at the top level and qualities suited to the club's need for a quality central midfielder. The financial side of such a deal would be decisive.
Five midfielders, different solutions
Jensen, Stage, Ugrešić, Svanberg and Ilić are not the same type of player and do not offer exactly the same qualities. Jensen brings experience and creativity, Stage brings power and intensity, Ugrešić brings potential and box-to-box qualities, Svanberg brings running power and presence in attack, and Ilić brings technical quality and the ability to operate in more than one role.
For Panathinaikos, the aim is a single one: to find the midfielder who can raise the level of the team's central axis. The market, as it stands, appears to offer several different routes to achieve that.
