Oakland Roots announced a blockbuster deal by USL Championship standards, signing winger and attacking midfielder Panos Armenakas.
Armenakas arrives in Oakland as a former champion with Phoenix Rising in 2023 and was eventually transferred to Memphis 901 FC in August for the club’s final season.
Panos’ representation announced their client received a two-year contract through 2026. Given most USL Championship contracts include a final option year, Armenakas could be tied to Oakland through 2027, giving the Coliseum its newest hero.
Making culture changes has been a focus for coach Gavin Glinton and staff, adding one of the most prolific playmakers available on the USL Championship market.
“Panos is a dangerous and intelligent attacking player,” Glinton said. “We’ve seen it again and again throughout his time in the USL. He can punish teams with his finishing, passing, and one-v-one ability. He has also proven he knows how to win in this league.”
When asked what message this sends, director of player personnel Nana Attakora responded: “We are here to compete.”
Attakora continued: “Panos is a winner, he has shown that. This is a big addition to help build a winning culture.”
Roots’ fans might remember his absolute banger of a goal at Pioneer Stadium in a 1-1 draw on August 24. It was his only time to find the back of the net with Memphis, while he also scored twice for Rising before leaving the desert.
His arrival creates a potentially potent attack with Johnny Rodriguez in the striker role, José Luis Sinisterra on the right side, while Wolfgang Prentice and Baboucarr Njie compete for minutes on the left.
Armenakas is right-footed and has gotten time at right wing throughout his career. It could be a clue toward Glinton putting more focus on the 4-2-3-1 formation given Sinisterra was considered a marquee addition when signing in late August. Panos is rated one of the best Central Attacking Midfielders throughout the league, meaning it makes sense for him to line up in the central role with Sinisterra at the wing.
It’s worth mentioning that Armenakas is more than capable with his left foot, evident by his goal against Oakland and nearly scoring against Sacramento in October, making him a possible left winger in Glinton’s 3-4-3.
Roots still have positions to fill, notably at right back to replace Memo Diaz. Regarding if there is a sense of urgency to get signings done ahead of Oakland’s preseason campaign, Attakora said, “We are building our club with intention.”
So what are Roots getting in Armenakas?
Armenakas brings some high grades in USL Championship analyst John Morrissey’s metrics, ranking in the top five percent in key passes and expected assists, while he ranks in the top 20 percent in dribbles and dribble percentage. Moreover, his FotMob stats have consistently been among the top in the league since arriving at Loudoun United in 2023.
Roots have struggled to create goals since its inception in the USL Championship with 51 being its highest figure in 2022, while last season’s 37 goals was a nine-goal drop from Noah Delgado’s cast in 2023. With Armenakas, Oakland is gaining one of the league’s best chance creators with 2.74 per match in 2024 and 2.20 in 2023. Both figures ranked respectively in the top 2.5 and 3.5 percent of players at his position.
Aremenakas completed 81.1 percent of his long passes in 2024 for 3.39 per game, ranking among the best 3.3 percent of players. His 1.57 successful crosses per game also ranked in the top five percent while his 36.4 success rate was among the top 10 percent.
He’s a player who will command attention and be a focal point for building the attack, averaging 62 touches per game last season. He averaged 1.44 successful dribbles per game in 2024 and 1.67 in 2023.
Glinton’s system also tasked players to hound the opposition with pressing action. Armenakas could fit that mold with 1.37 tackles per match last year, ranking in the top 17 percent. He showed a propensity to win possession in the final third in 2023 with Phoenix at 0.89 times per match.
Armenakas, 26, started his career with Udinese of Italy’s Serie A in 2017 and was loaned to Tubize in the third division of Belgian football for two years. He then signed with Panathinaikos of Super League Greece in 2019-2020. After a brief stint on K.S.V. Roeselare of the Belgium second tier, he joined S.V. Zulte Waregem of the same league from 2020–2021.
He began making noise with Vendsyssel FF of the top division of Denmark football in 2021-2022, making 45 total appearances for the club.
Armenakas arrived in the USL Championship with Loudoun United in 2023, making 12 appearances before transferring to Phoenix Rising for its title run. Rising transferred him to Memphis last season.
For his USL Championship career, Armenakas has 62 appearances for 3,771 minutes, seven goals, and eight assists.
Welcome to Oakland, Panos!
