Italian newspaper Corriere del Mezzogiorno have reported that Napoli manager Gennaro Gattusohas ‘phoned’ Sokratis Papastathopoulos over a potential move this summer.
The Greek international central defender has been linked with a move away from the Emirates with AS Roma touted as a potential destination, but he could be on his way to Naples.
The article claims that the defender is now ‘trying to convince Arsenal to free him of his contract’, allowing him to move on a free transfer.
Since Mikel Arteta’s appointment as Arsenal manager in December of last year, Papastathopoulos has barely been seen.
The 32-year-old, who arrived at the Emirates in 2018 from Borussia Dortmund, made 19 Premier League appearances in all in 2019/20, although he appeared in only one of Arsenal’s nine matches following the enforced mid-season hiatus.
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For AC Milan legend turned Napoli boss Gattuso, it seems he wants to bring in an experienced operator at the heart of his defence.
The 90 times capped international may be wise to move on as the Gunners edge closer to announcing another new arrival in his position. The deal to bring Lille centre-back Gabriel Magalhães appears to be nearing completion.
From an Arsenal point of view, it would make sense to let Sokratis leave but the Gunners really should try to get a transfer fee for him before they even consider letting him go for free.
