Arsenal and Sokratis cancel contract by mutual agreement
Arsenal and Sokratis have mutually agreed to cancel the Greek defender’s contract.
The 32-year-old had six months remaining on his deal with the Gunners but will now be able to leave the club on a free transfer. He has been linked with Genoa, Real Betis, Fenerbahce and Olympiakos in recent weeks and a decision on his next club is expected to be made soon.
Sokratis was left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads this season and as a result, he has not played a single minute of competitive football for the North London club’s senior side. He has played for the Arsenal Under-23 side in order to stay match fit ahead of a move to another club in the January transfer window.
The Greece international joined the Gunners in the summer of 2018 from Borussia Dortmund for £17.6 million. During his time in North London, scored six goals and provided two assists in 69 appearances across all competitions. He was a part of the squad that reached the Europa League final in 2019 and won the FA Cup in 2020.
In addition to playing for Arsenal, the tough-tackling central defender has played for the likes of Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Genoa and Werder Bremen. He will now look to start a new chapter of his career and has received interest from a host of clubs.
On Sokratis’ exit from the club, technical director Edu Gaspar said:
“On behalf of Mikel, our coaches, players and everyone at the club, I would like to thank Papa for his contribution to the club.”
“He has been an important part of our group and has been a model professional throughout. The negotiations to end his contract have been collaborative and we wish Papa and his family well for the future.”
