According to Italian news source, RAI, as cited by Tutto Napoli, Arsenal are on the verge of offloading Sokratis. The Premier League giants have reportedly agreed on a €4.5 million transfer fee regarding the experienced defender, whose contract at Emirates expires at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. Sokratis, who is favoured by Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso, will be paid around €2.5 million per year salary.
Sokratis’ Rapid Downfall at Arsenal
Before the 2019/20 campaign, Sokratis was labelled as the face of the Arsenal backline. He was expected to provide the leadership following the departure of Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal. However, 12 months later, he now finds himself as one of the more fringe players in the team.
The arrival of Mikel Arteta, in particular, has seen the Greek international being frozen out of the first-team. He has, in fact, featured in only two competitive games for Arsenal since Project Restart, with both of them coming from the bench, totalling just three minutes.
Overall, Sokratis made 19 Premier League appearances last season, majority of which came under either Unai Emery or Freddie Ljungberg. A move away from Emirates, therefore, seems like a viable option, especially with his contract expiring soon.
Why Arsenal Must Sell Sokratis
Despite his lack of game-time at Arsenal, Sokratis is, no doubt, a quality defender, who has a tremendous amount of experience at the highest level of football.
However, one of the reasons why the Gunners must offload the Greek international as soon as possible is because of the lack of technicality he offers to the table. While Sokratis’ no-nonsense defensive style is well-respected, the ex-Borussia Dortmund star has no quality on the ball and often gets caught out.
It isn’t ideal for Arteta, in his tactical philosophy which revolves around efficient build-up play from the back. Not to mention, athleticism and pace also become key parts of the idea and Sokratis, at the age of 32, is not exactly an ideal option.
One Step Closer To Gabriel Magalhaes?
Sporting reasons aside, Sokratis’ potential departure from the Emirates could boost Arsenal financially, helping them balance the books. It could ultimately pave the way for Gabriel Magalhaes to finally make his move to north London, having been linked with the Gunners for weeks now.
In addition to Sokratis, other Arsenal defenders including Rob Holding could leave the Emirates this summer as Arteta currently has too many options in central defence right now, despite the injuries to players like Calum Chambers and Pablo Mari.
Hence, we might soon see Arsenal officiating the Gabriel deal as Arteta looks to reshape his defensive unit ahead of an exciting 2020/21 campaign.
