Arsenal have reportedly told Sokratis Papastathopoulos that he is safe from the clearance sale the Gunners are plotting for the upcoming summer.
The Mirror (via the Daily Cannon) claims that the North London are currently open to bids for Calum Chambers and also looking to ship out Shkodran Mustafi. Laurent Koscielny, 33 is not certain to continue for long with the Frenchman’s contract running down to an end in another 16 months.
Sokratis was brought in from Borussia Dortmund by Unai Emery and former Arsenal’s Head of Recruitment, Sven Mislintat. The Greek international has established himself as a first-team regular immediately upon his arrival.
He also is one of the most valuable pieces in a very shoddy Arsenal backline. The Gunners have come to be known as a team who can be exploited at the back very easily. However, Sokratis’ presence has maintained some semblance of competence to keep the side in the top four race this season.
Now 30, Sokratis understandably will offer more to the Gunners side than he would if sold. Chambers and Mustafi, on the other hand, are much younger and have over two more seasons left in their contracts.
They could fetch a decent sum for Emery to reinvest in a more able defensive figure ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
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