Implications of Pipa's Olympiacos transfer link shows how far Huddersfield Town have come

Even as Huddersfield Town were keeping careful watch on their finances in the summer of 2020, they were still able to unearth one of the bargain signings of a difficult window. It was apparent very quickly at a six-figure sum believed to be in the region of half a million pounds, Pipa was a steal.

The right-back was one of the stars of the promising early months of that campaign, but playing through the pain of a groin injury after the new year limited his game and then kept him out of the first few months of the following season. By the time he returned, Ollie Turton had got over his initial struggles adapting to the Championship and proved difficult to dislodge from the starting lineup.

Pipa won out in the end for the big occasion of the play-off final last month – but transfer links connecting him with a move to a Champions League side for the second year running leave Town in a comfortable position nonetheless.

Last year it was Portuguese giants Sporting who came enquiring; this year, it has been Greek champions Olympiacos. You could not really blame Pipa if those kinds of opportunities were attractive; as well as things are going for Carlos Corberan’s side and with the greatest of respect, no young player from Catalonia grows up dreaming of playing for Huddersfield Town in the Championship.

As with any of their players, Town would need their asking price to be met before they countenanced accepting a bid for the Spaniard, whose one-year extension clause means his current deal effectively had two seasons left to run.

There is little question that the Town squad is better with Pipa in it than without him. But contrary to last summer, when the squad rebuild was already big enough that allowing a regular starter to