Sokratis has rejected a move to Fulham this month, despite falling way down the pecking order at Arsenal.
The 32 year-old has been linked with a number of clubs this summer, having entered into the final 12 months of his contract back in July.
The Football Insider can now confirm that Fulham made a move to bring him to Craven Cottage, with a willingness to meet his asking price, or take him on loan, but the player rejected the move.
Sokratis will now only have until Monday to find a new club, or resign himself to being Arsenal’s eighth choice to feature at centre-back (excluding Kieran Tierney and Mohamed Elneny).
The Greek defender has been linked with a possible return to Italy, where he previously featured for Genoa and AC Milan, but whether he will secure a move isn’t guaranteed currently.
Sokratis has only featured on four occasions since February, but with the return of William Saliba on loan, paired with the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes, he will not be expected to have any part of Arteta’s plans should he stay.
Shkodran Mustafi has also been linked with a possible move away this window, with The Sun claiming he was in talks with Lazio, but it remains to be seen whether the manager would actually prefer him to stay, given he was a key member of his backline last season.
Could Sokratis have turned down the move to Fulham because he is assured that he will have other options this month? Or would he rather settle for cashing his cheque at Arsenal this term?
Patrick
Got his heart set on WWE….
OT..Saka has his first England call-up 👍
For the first team or U something….?
His first call-up for the senior team!
Hallelujah
Im assuming unattached players can sign outside the transfer window. If we dont get him out this window I suspect we’ll either buy out his contract or agree to terminate.
I thought that was the plan anyway – to terminate – but all gone quiet on that front now… so who knows… still time for something to happen!
As it stands Arsenal are set to have 4 full backs and 8 centre backs all fit after the international break and that does not include Maitland-Niles and Saka. Surely that is too many to keep a squad happy?
In previous seasons have “got by” with just 8 defenders. If it was me and i could let go of 4 defenders it would be Soares, Sokratis, Mustafi and Kolasinac. That would leave our first team squad with 6 centre back options and 4 wing backs
Saliba, Luiz, Gabriel
Bellerin Tierney
Chambers Holding Mari
AMN Saka
For me that should be well enough.
We also still have 11 goalkeepers on the books, I would suggest allowing at least 2 depart the club. Macey and Iliev would be gone if it was my choice.
Central midfield Xhaka, Ceballos, Willock, Elneny, Torreira, Guendozi, Ozil, Smith-Rowe again I think that is 2 too many. Especially when you consider we have AMN and Saks to add to the mix. If we sign Party and Aouar then I would let 4 go with Ozil and Elneny being my favourites to go permanent and Torreira and Guendozi out on loan.
Up front we have
Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang,
Pepe Nketiah Martinelli and Nelson as Martinelli is injured I would not let anyone go until the winter then see how many competitions were are still in. Leaves my 25 man first team squad without signings looking like this.
Leno Runarsson
Bellerin, AMN
Saliba, Luiz, Gabriel
Chambers, Holding, Mari
Tierney, Saka
Xhaka, Ceballos
Torreira, Smith-Rowe
Guendozi, Willock
Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Pepe, Nketiah, Nelson
Martinelli
If we sign Partey and Aouar allow Torreira and Guendozi to leave on loan.
Raise cash and save wages by selling
Macey, Iliev (£2m?)
Soares, Kolasinac (£14m?)
Sokratis, Mustafi (£16m?)
Ozil, Elneny. (£10m?)
Loan out Torreira and Guendozi to bring in Partey and Aouar.
That would be my preference if we had enough funds to do it and if Arteta could put aside his differences with Torreira and Guendozi.
I think he is yet another of our no use players who is putting money and his current contract before his future career elsewhere. If I were a player contracted to a club which I did not love nor even support but was merely paid by, even though unused, I might well act as he did and does. In this Covid era of uncertainty too let’s remember!
Let us be frank ,it is unambitious and in a way a disgrace, but is also realistic, as moderate only players will always put security above their career, AT the level Sokaratis is.
This may not apply to better players, who will have a large choice of clubs to go to. But if you are basically almost useless, as Sokratis is, why put your financial security at risk? That is his thinking and I can understand it even though I do not approve of it.
You don’t brand him useless because he isn’t performing greatly for our football club.
Learn to show some respect to our players and humans in general, it will do you a lot of good.
👍🏽👍🏽
It’s always difficult for any club to admit it’s mistakes but Arsenal has taken this concept to a whole new level…now I get that it might not make sense to absorb a loss by moving a player while still paying a portion of his wages on a regular basis, but if you have no intention whatsoever of playing those individuals, like Sokratis, Guendo, Ozil or Lucas, this philosophy makes total sense for a variety of reasons…why would you want to pay to have such an obvious distraction anywhere near the squad, while simultaneously depreciating their market value as they will be perceived by possible suitors as a potential locker room cancer…we need to grow a pair, from an organizational standpoint, and start making the difficult yet necessary fundamental changes if we hope to truly right this ship
Rather disappointing news
I thought he had come out to say he wasn’t prepared to just warm the bench, or am I getting confused?
@SueP I read that he said just that. So he must have changed his mind and that is a dissappointment to say the least.
It is!
Obviously too cosy at London Colney
Or
He is actually going somewhere else Maybe all will be revealed!
The wages are just so gi-normous these days that as Jon Fox put it, why not just sit it out?
OT.. Chavs and Car jackers very lucky in the CL draw…. let’s hope luck’s with us tomorrow 🤞
Just because we want a player gone doesn’t mean that player must accept a transfer to ANY club. Players have their preferences. The report said he rejected to join FULHAM, not necessary rejecting to leave and join another club like Napoli
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We blame “unperforming” players for not wanting to leave, but many times the club itself frustrates such moves based on their transfer fee demands.
Its hours to transfer deadline, yet no movement at hearthrow airport for auor and partey.
I think that Matteo Guendouzi should stay where he is. Maybe in time he would get to play in the first team. He needs to be patient.