Arsenal favourites to land Dortmund defender
Arsenal are current favourites to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos this summer, according to football.london.
Arsenal want to strengthen their side ahead of next season following the departure of Arsene Wenger and the Greek centre-half could be set to become their first signing of the summer.
Despite not yet having a manager, the North London club are already actively on the lookout for players as they look to rebuild their side.
The centre-back position has been a continuous problem for Arsenal in recent years, with the side often criticised for conceding sloppy goals.
With rumours circulating that the club are ready to sell Skhodran Mustafi, and with Laurent Koscielny having sustained a long-term injury that is set to keep him sidelined for several months, the signing of Sokratis could become a priority for the Gunners.
The 29-year-old signed for Dortmund back in 2013, when Arsenal’s current head of recruitment Sven Mislintat was at the German club.
Sokratis has featured 43 times this season for the Bundesliga outfit, and his reliability over the years has seen him become one of Europe’s most sought-after defenders.
With his contract up next summer, a deal for the Greek international could come quite cheaply, with Dortmund rumoured to be willing to accept in the region of £15 million for the defender.