Van Drongelen arrives in Athens to finalize Panathinaikos transfer

Dutch defender Rick van Drongelen arrived in Athens on the evening of July 18th to complete his move to Greek club Panathinaikos. The 27-year-old is set to begin training immediately under coach Jacob Nielsen.

Van Drongelen's journey from Turkey involved a flight from Samsun to Istanbul, followed by a connection to the Greek capital. Before his departure, the center-back bid farewell to his teammates and staff at Samsunspor, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

Sunday is scheduled for medical examinations and contract signings. Van Drongelen will first undergo the necessary medical checks before heading to Panathinaikos' training center for ergometric tests. If all goes smoothly, he will sign a four-year contract. His annual salary is reported to be 1.1 million euros, with the total transfer cost estimated at 5.5 million euros. Samsunspor will retain a 20% sell-on fee.

Van Drongelen arrives in Greece having already completed part of his pre-season training with Samsunspor. He participated in the Turkish team's program for 12 days, indicating he is in satisfactory physical condition, although he did not play in any friendly matches. He is expected to join training immediately and be registered for European competitions, potentially debuting against Paksi.