The post-Arsene Wenger era at Emirates is off to a busy start as Unai Emery, his replacement at Arsenal has been scouting for a number of star players recently. The former PSG boss has already completed a couple of signings and the Gunners have announced this week that Greek international Sokratis Papastathopoulos has joined the club and has become their third signing of the summer.
Born and brought up in Kalamata, Greece, the 30-year old announced himself at the European stage with AEK Athens, where he spent three years turning into a solid defender. He also played for Genoa, AC Milan and Werder Bremen before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2013 and has ever since been a regular in the first team.
He made 28 league appearances last season, scoring a couple of goals as well, and at 30, stands as one of the most experienced defenders in Europe at the moment. His biggest achievement is a league title in Italy but Papastathopoulos has been crucial in the rise of Die Borussen in the last decade.
Known for his composure with the ball at his feet, the 30-year old is also strong in the air and is comfortable at dominating even the best of strikers in the game. He does give away needless fouls at times but takes calculated risks, an attribute he has picked up with experience.
He is adept at throwing himself around in front of goal, but is equally effective in build-up play at the back and was one of the first players Emery targeted for Arsenal. The Gunners have finally managed to land him, making him the highest paid Greek player ever, in the process.
He will earn around £108,000-a-week with the Gunners, who will want him to step up and make an immediate impact. He has no previous experience in England but Emery needs him in his first XI, at least for the start of the season.
Arsenal have Shkodran Mustafi as the only senior defender ready for action at the moment. Laurent Koscielny, who is probably the best centre-back at the club, is out injured at least until the turn of the year while Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Konstantinos Mavropanos are not ready for first team action yet.
They are also without Per Mertesacker, who has retired from the game, leaving Papastathopoulos as the first choice partner for Mustafi next season.
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He is certainly capable of forming a solid partnership with the German but is not a long-term option for Emery. So there are mixed reactions from the Arsenal fans over his deal but do you think the Greek defender is a decent addition for the club?
