Sokratis Papastathopoulos flies to London to finalise £18m Arsenal switch

Subject to a report published by Sunday Express, Borussia Dortmund’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos has supposedly embarked to London to finalise a highly-anticipated £18m switch to Arsenal, having agreed upon a deal with the north-Londoners a fortnight ago.

Flying from Kalamata, Greece, it’s said that the centre-half boarded a British Airways flight last night with his wife, Xanthippi, in order to put pen to paper with the north-Londoners.

Pre-season training is set to commence next week, so it’s thought that Papastathopoulos would be eager to begin his own personal conditioning program as an official member of Unai Emery’s set-up.

As and when the 30-year-old enforcer is unveiled, he would become Emery’s third signing since taking the reins from Arsene Wenger in May, with all of the Spaniard’s acquisitions being of a defensive nature.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, 34, joined the Gunners on a free transfer from Serie A superpower Juventus and Bernd Leno, a German international goalkeeper, departed Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen to ply his trade at the Emirates in June.

‘Papa’ was an integral figurehead in Dortmund’s fold last term having played 43 times in all competitions, contributing towards his current employers bid for Champions League football next season, after pipping Leverkusen to the final qualification spot, 4th, on goal difference.