Greek agent Giorgos Panou, the man who discovered basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, is now making waves in football.

Panou helped launch Giannis’s career in 2013, when he was just a young player in Greece’s second division. Giannis is now a global star, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.

Now, Panou is doing something similar with young Greek footballer Charalampos Kostoulas – known as “Babis”. Panou spotted him at just 15 years old while playing in an under-19s match. Babis is now close to joining Brighton & Hove Albion in a record deal worth nearly £30 million.

When asked to compare Giannis and Babis, Panou said:
“I felt the same way watching Babis at 15 as I did when I first saw Giannis. He’s calm under pressure, very talented, with strong body language, and not afraid to face older, stronger opponents. I could see he had great potential.”

Top clubs, including Chelsea and German sides, were interested in signing Babis. But Brighton won the race.

Why Brighton? Panou explained:
“They impressed both me and his family. The way they spoke, the way they negotiated, and their record with young players was excellent. We feel very comfortable with this move, and I’m sure Babis will settle in quickly. For me, it was an easy decision.”

Panou, who used to be an assistant coach for the Greek national basketball team, now works in both football and basketball. He believes Greek football is entering a special period. Stefanos Tzimas is also joining Brighton this summer, and another young Greek star, Giannis Konstantelias, is expected to move to a big club in Europe soon.

Just like with Giannis Antetokounmpo in basketball, Panou seems to have the magic touch in spotting Greece’s next big football stars.