Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Arsenal will make 20-year-old Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos their first January signing from PAS Giannina.

Asked about the deal after Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday, Wenger said: "Yes but he's not ready to play for us, we'll give him out on loan."

A source had told ESPN FC earlier Wednesday that the clubs were negotiating a deal worth about £2 million and that would likely see Mavropanos sent on loan to Werder Bremen in order to gain more first-team experience.

Wenger had said on Tuesday that he is also looking to sign "exceptional" players in January that can give his side an immediate boost.

Mavropanos is a towering centre-back who has impressed in his first full season in the Greek league, scoring three goals in 14 appearances.

Arsenal will need a replacement for retiring captain Per Mertesacker next season, while Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are also both in their 30s.

However, Arsenal already have young centre-back duo Calum Chambers and Rob Holding, while highly rated Krystian Bielik is spending this season on loan at Birmingham.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by Mattias Karen

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]