Unai Emery is not resting on his laurels following his appointment at Arsenal and is seeking a number of defensive improvements to bolster the club’s frail back-line.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss is already reported to have closed a deal for free-agent Stephan Lichtsteiner, winning of seven consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, and is now closing in on another defensive addition.
German outlet Kicker state Arsenal are negotiating the ‘fine details’ with Borussia Dortmund for the services of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who will sign a three-year deal with the Gunners until 2021 when a transfer worth €17m is completed.
With a move ‘almost certain’, it’s added that the 29-year-old Greece international will complete a medical with the Premier League side next week to become one of Emery’s first major additions for the north London side.
Head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, formerly of Dortmund, is said to be the driving force behind the deal, with Sokratis looking set to reunite with Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
