Panathinaikos is considering the return of 32-year-old Dimitris Kourbelis as part of a plan to add another Greek player to their midfield. There was consideration to acquire another midfielder for the '6-8' position, with Kourbelis and Kostas Galanopoulos being the options considered. Kourbelis played for Panathinaikos for 6.5 years before moving to Turkish club Trabzonspor in the summer of 2023 and currently belongs to Saudi Arabian side Al Khaleej. He has 51 caps and 3 goals for Greece. His contract with Al Khaleej runs until June 2026, and his current Transfermarkt market value is €1.00m. In the 2025/2026 Saudi Pro League season, Kourbelis has made 20 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist.