Sokratis set to join Olympiacos after leaving Arsenal

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Sokratis Papastathopoulos is on the brink of joining Olympiacos after rescinding his contract at Arsenal.

The veteran defender cancelled his contract at the Emirates by mutual consent this week, having slipped down Mikel Arteta’s pecking order.

Sokratis has received interest from former club Genoa and a number of other Serie A teams but is now on the verge of joining Greek side Olympiacos.

The 32-year-old has been negotiating his free transfer move to Olympiacos in Greece in recent days and is expected to sign a deal next week.

Sokratis has not played in Greece since leaving AEK Athens in 2008 as a 20-year-old to join Genoa.

He then moved on to represent AC Milan and Werder Bremen before really establishing himself as one of Europe’s better centre backs at Borussia Dortmund.

He joined Arsenal in 2018, making a total of 69 appearances and scoring six goals. He won an FA Cup winners’ medal last season.

Sokratis has also been a mainstay of the Greece national team over the last decade, winning 90 caps and playing in two World Cups and a European Championship.