Sokratis Papastathopoulos has been heavily linked with a transfer to the Emirates for weeks now and it seems the defender will finally complete Arsenal move this wee.
CalcioMercato reports that Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos will undergo a medical at Arsenal this week ahead of his move to the Emirates this summer.
It is believed that the transfer will be worth £17 million and that the 29-year-old will sign a three-year deal at the Emirates as soon as the deal is done.
Former Borussia Dortmund head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has reportedly been absolutely vital in achieving this transfer.
The Greek has made 198 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 3 goals for the side. The center back has been with Borussia Dortmund since 2013 and has become a regular for the side.
Being the vice-captain of Dortmund, it is believed that the player, who stands at 6’1, is part of Unai Emery and Sven Mislintat’s plan to bring in leadership and experience to the North London team.
With Club Captain Per Mertesacker retiring and regular stand-in captain Laurent Koscielny picking up a severe Achilles injury that will sideline the Frenchman well into the upcoming season, the Gunners need new leadership on the pitch.
Arsenal currently have a young, often inexperienced defence, with the likes of Konstantinos Mavropanos, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin being some of the Gooner’s best defensive options for the season ahead.
Conceding 51 goals in the league last season, Arsenal have the worst defensive record in the top 6. As well as this, the shockingly poor away record in the Premier League has regularly been shown to be due to a poor defence and a lack of leadership.
Having played for a huge club as Vice-Captain for years, Sokratis will surely be a welcome addition to the Gunners in the season ahead, bring leadership, experience and most importantly quality.
