Arriving from Borussia Dortmund for a fairly low fee, and bringing a wealth of big game experience, Sokratis (or Papa as he'll be known) is just the signing Arsenal need. With the club's best centre back, Laurent Koscielny, out injured indefinitely, the defence was looking fairly light on leaders and experience players ahead of the new season. Replacing Gabriel as the newest number five, Papa will be a valuable asset in the back line of whom Unai Emery will be able to rely upon from the get go. He'll be able to deploy Papa with a whole host of partners due to his flexibility and leadership skills. Any one of Mustafi, Chambers, Holding, Mavropanos or Koscielny will be a suitable partner for Papa, who much like Koscielny, is valued for experience and a level of 'cool' that can only come with 300 plus career appearances.
What will he bring?
Experience: Much like this summer's first addition Stephan Litchsteiner, Sokratis brings a wealth of top level experience. Having played for Borussia Dortmund for the past five seasons amassing 130 appearances, he won three trophies during a glamour period for the club. He's captained Dortmund in a cup final, beaten Bayern Munich in two domestic cup finals and has been capped 79 times by his country (Greece). A regular in the Champions League also, Papa has played in a number of knockout ties and gone deep in the tournament during his time at Dortmund. He played under both Klopp and Tuchel, proving his adaptability and willingness to grow and keep learning, through two completely different managerial approaches. A mature player who'll provide the centre of Arsenal's defence with undoubted experience and composure, and a having seen it all during his career, a level of calm and organisation that we so desperately crave at times.
Defending: A true defender; a tackle first, think later kind of guy who just loves to get stuck in. He's already spoken about the importance of clean sheets, not just to his team but to him personally also. So we should expect a wealth of defensive organisation, commitment and tackles galore. Paolo Maldini once said that when he made a tackle that meant he'd already made a mistake, and while Papa is no Italian left back, he is commited and thoughtful enough to position himself expertly whilst defending. He has experience of winning big games, and playing in pressure situations that often cause even the most calm minds to blow. Papa has the ability handle this pressure and I for one am excited to see him play. A warrior of a defender, he'll gel immediately with any keeper behind him whether that be Cech or Leno. Already blessed with better than average English, he'll be looking to settle in right away and claim that starting spot. His ability to play left of right side will benefit both him personally and his partner, whoever that may be.
Mentality: Clearly well built for defending in the Premier League, Papa's mental state has always proved to be on point also. He's a thinking man's player, who'll ensure he positions himself and the entire defensive unit appropriately to tackle the opposition in hand. He loves to defend, and I would have questioned such a signing under Mr Football Arsene Wenger but under Unai Emery we seem to be targeting a slightly different approach, encompassing workmen-like players, and far more defensive organisation. Wenger always purchased footballing defenders who have proven that they couldn't quite get the club over the line so a shift in defender-type was needed. Emery (with the backroom commercial team) has brought that in, no doubt. Although not blessed with the pace of Laurent Koscielny, Papa will bring know-how and guile to an exposed defensive core. Papa too will be positioned so well that his lack of raw pace will not be as exposed as perhaps fans may think. Bernd Leno who is noticeably quicker than Petr Cech which will only improve this situation also.
Development Asset for Mavropanos: Being Greek, the whispers are that Papa has also been brought in to help Dinos Mavropanos settle to life in London. Although the young Greek made a few appearances last season, and impressed, he will be looking to push his career on and live up to the potential that Mislintat identified last Winter. Sokratis will be a valuable tool in this process and having a signed a fairly long deal, he'll be around to see it unfold, and hopefully help Dinos along every step of the way. The club has seen the likes of Fran Merida and Seb Larsson come through the academy as non-English natives who have failed to adapt to life abroad from such a young age, and as a consequence, fail to make it at Arsenal. This is obviously something that none of us want to see, especially after Dinos impressed so well last season. Papa will have a crucial role to play in his development and settlement to Arsenal life as a full first team professional, week in week out.
On the whole, Sokratis will be a fantastic defensive addition to Arsenal, who have been craving an out-and-out defensive centre back since the days of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure. Other than young Mavropanos, who is more than capable of a pass or two anyway, most of Arsenal's current stock of centre backs are keen passers who've often been exposed once or twice through over playing. I see Sokratis as the complete opposite. He's solid in the tackle, highly experienced and keen to continue to improve; three valuable traits to possess. He looks to be one of many in the Emery-mould that the club are looking to bring in this Summer, signs of a shift in mentality. A mentality change that the club has needed for a long time, and alongside Stephan Lichtsteiner, Papa brings vital and unmatched experience to bolster the ranks. Dubbed a long term deal for a fairly commendable price, his versatility and raw mentality for defending should see him become one of the first names on the team sheet come the opening game in August.
@craigbennett10
On the whole, Sokratis will be a fantastic defensive addition to Arsenal, who have been craving an out-and-out defensive centre back since the days of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure. Other than young Mavropanos, who is more than capable of a pass or two anyway, most of Arsenal's current stock of centre backs are keen passers who've often been exposed once or twice through over playing. I see Sokratis as the complete opposite. He's solid in the tackle, highly experienced and keen to continue to improve; three valuable traits to possess. He looks to be one of many in the Emery-mould that the club are looking to bring in this Summer, signs of a shift in mentality. A mentality change that the club has needed for a long time, and alongside Stephan Lichtsteiner, Papa brings vital and unmatched experience to bolster the ranks. Dubbed a long term deal for a fairly commendable price, his versatility and raw mentality for defending should see him become one of the first names on the team sheet come the opening game in August.
@craigbennett10
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