PAOK put its transfer plan into action by announcing the signing of Aritch Elustondo, with the experienced Spanish center back marking the first signing of the Alessio Lisi era.

The “black-and-whites” are now heading to the Netherlands for the main phase of their preseason training, having already bolstered their defense—but they’re not stopping there.

The 31-year-old center back signed a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an annual salary of approximately 1.2 million euros. Elustondo was signed as a free agent following his long tenure at Real Sociedad, where he made more than 330 appearances across all competitions and served as one of the team’s captains for years.

After completing his medical and fitness tests, the Basque defender immediately joined the squad and will travel with the rest of the team to Zaltbomel, where PAOK will conduct the main phase of its summer training camp and play four friendly matches.

Despite the completion of Elustondo’s transfer, the reinforcement of the central defense is not yet considered a done deal. The Thessaloniki-based club continues to seriously consider the case of Pantelis Hatzidiakos, who remains one of their top targets for the center of defense.

The Greek international center back is high on PAOK’s list, though a final agreement with Copenhagen has not yet been reached. The Danish club is asking for approximately 3 million euros for his transfer, while PAOK has raised its offer to nearly 2 million and is continuing negotiations, seeking to narrow the gap so the transfer can be finalized.

*photo source: PAOK FC