Two Fridays ago, exactly on May 30th, he opened the door to adulthood: “Babis Kostoulas, aged 18,” we said about the wonderkid of Greek football who, before even gaining the right to apply for a driver’s license, became a European champion (Youth League) and double winner of Greece with Olympiacos — in a perfect football journey, the kind you’d think someone dreamed up with their eyes wide open.

And today, Friday the 13th of June? The son of Thanasis — who also wrote his own story against a Red-and-White backdrop — now stands atop the highest… mountain ever climbed by a Greek footballer. Holder of a series of records and a trailblazer for the next in his generation. The wonderkid for whom Brighton laid a forty-million-euro (and counting) carpet at his feet.

As if to say: The second most expensive transfer of an 18-year-old in Premier League history. The fifth most expensive transfer of an 18-year-old in the history of European football. The second most expensive transfer in Brighton’s history.

The most expensive for a Greek footballer

The most expensive (Greek and foreign) in the Greek Super League

Naturally, the most expensive one for Olympiacos as well, who once again showed and proved that the way they think about and implement football is a case study. Seven years ago, the Piraeus club changed the landscape for Greek footballers and the value of the development process in our country, launching — their now captain — Panagiotis Retsos into the stratosphere of the Bundesliga for €17.5 million (to Bayer Leverkusen):

An amount that seemed beyond reason. Four years later, Kostas Tsimikas left the football factory of Rentis directly for Liverpool in a move that didn’t surpass Retsos financially (€13 million), but which “strategically” opened the door to football’s elite.

There were higher offers on the table. However, Evangelos Marinakis wanted not only to reward Tsimikas himself but also to unlock yet another level for Greek football. A homegrown Olympiacos academy player joining — what many consider — the most important club in English football.

And since last night? The next representative of Olympiacos’ development pipeline in the Premier League has already set the Island abuzz. The Greek teenager for whom €40 million was spent! The 5th most expensive transfer of an 18-year-old in football history — in case that wasn’t clear enough.

The tough negotiations lasted an entire month — aiming to secure the best possible terms for Babis Kostoulas, as well as to reflect the true magnitude of a deal like this. Just a year ago, Kostoulas, leading Olympiacos’ incredible youth team, strung together victories over elite sides like Inter, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan, guiding the Reds to their Youth League triumph.

And later, when he was promoted to the senior squad under José Luis Mendilibar? His data kept lighting up dashboards and building legions of admirers. After Lamine Yamal (0.67 per match), Argentina’s “new Messi” Franco Mastantuono (0.6), reportedly close to signing with Real Madrid from River Plate, and Andrija Maksimović (0.6) of Red Star Belgrade — tracked by Paris Saint-Germain — Kostoulas ranked as the 4th most efficient U-18 (winger and forward) in goal + assist creation (xG + xA) per 90 minutes in the 2024/25 season.

All of the above talents were born in the blessed year of 2007!

This footballer was brought to Renti at the age of 12 by the top Greek club, together with his brother Konstantinos, who also lifted the Youth League and for the past year has been at Rio Ave playing in the Portuguese championship. This footballer is being sent at 18 to the planet of the Premier League. Olympiacos, which meanwhile won the double this year, having directly from its ranks, apart from Kostoulas and Retsos, the amazing Konstantis Tzolakis and Christos Mouzakitis in its starting 11.

Who lifted the Conference League a year ago with its then captain, also from the Academy, Kostas Fortounis. And which, already opening the door to Babis Kostoulas, has taken care of the next one: His ‘buddy’ Antonis Papakanellos. Because of Babis, he played little in the 2024/25 season (5 appearances). Since March, however, he was rewarded with a big contract. And in a month from now, at the start of the preparation, the expectations from him are changing.

Shall we also leave here the names of Fanis Bakoulas, Stavros Pnevmonidis, and Argyris Liatsikouras, all European champions (Youth League 2024), who in turn are preparing to introduce themselves to the wider public? All of them children of the football reservoir of Renti. Of Olympiacos, which amidst all its small and great achievements, managed to create in its colors a top football academy as well. As Vangelis Marinakis was saying 15 years ago. Back then, when such days everything was starting…