Panathinaikos Joins Race to Sign Hapoel Be'er Sheva Midfielder Kings Kangwa

According to a source in Greece, Panathinaikos has entered the competition to sign Kings Kangwa, the Zambian midfielder currently playing for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. This development adds the Athens-based club to the ongoing battle with another local team, AEK Athens, which is already close to securing Kangwa's transfer. The deal with AEK was expected to be finalized this week but was postponed until after Be'er Sheva's second-leg match against Vikingur of Iceland in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

AEK had offered approximately 4 million euros for Kangwa and wanted him to join immediately. However, Be'er Sheva refused, insisting that Kangwa remain available for the upcoming European fixtures. From Be'er Sheva's perspective, Kangwa's departure is inevitable, but the interest from Panathinaikos could drive the transfer fee above AEK's initial offer.

Previously, the transfer was nearly canceled because AEK demanded that Kangwa not participate in the Champions League qualifiers with Be'er Sheva. This was problematic since UEFA rules prevent a player from representing two different clubs in the qualifying rounds, allowing a switch only at the group stage if the player qualifies with the new team.