Arsenal are closing in on their first signing of the January transfer window, with the club set to agree a £2m deal for Greek central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos from PAS Giannina, according to reports.
The 20-year-old has become a regular for the Super League side this season and has been identified by new chief scout Sven Mislintat.
The former Borussia Dortmund scout has links to the player’s agent through BVB defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Reports claim the Athens-born U21 international had a medical in London this week – and should a deal go through, he is expected to be sent on loan to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in order to continue his development.
Olympiakos also reportedly held an interest in the centre-back but it would appear the Gunners have beaten the 44-time Greek champions to Mavropanos’ signature.
The 20-year-old will be the second Greek player to sign for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Stathis Tavlaridis, who played eight games for the North Londoners between 2001 and 2004.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here