Manchester United have reportedly joined fellow rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in the summer pursuit of Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos
According to German publication Bild, Manchester United is the latest English club to emerge as a suitor for the services of Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos. The Red Devils join Chelsea and Arsenal in the summer chase of the Greek centre-back.
Sokratis joined Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2013 and has since become a regular at the heart of the defence for the Bundesliga heavyweights. The Greek has been formidable this season as well, with 41 appearances in total and a return of 3 goals to aid his team on the other end as well.
However, the 29-year-old has been unable to add trophies to his cabinet, with just 2 German Super Cups and a German cup to boast of during his four-year association with the club. The player is now reaching towards the twilight of his career and is keen to add to his cabinet.
Arsenal need centre-backs to adhere to the newly deployed 3-man formation. Even if Wenger opts to revert to a back four, the addition of a centre-back is necessary, with Per Mertesacker announcing his retirement while Laurent Koscielny is being linked with Marseille on a continuous basis.
Both #CFC and Arsenal are interested in signing Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos according to Goal. pic.twitter.com/PYBWhpM9iu
— Breathe Chelsea (@BreatheChels) June 12, 2017
Chelsea too, are in need of centre-backs especially with the exit of John Terry from the club. The likes of Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake are as yet not ready to be a regular at the club, leaving David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta as the only recognised options at Conte’s disposal.
Manchester United have joined the race as well. The Red Devils have locked down the signing of Victor Lindelof. Mourinho, though, is still looking to add to the central defence, with the Portuguese seeing Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo as the only viable options in the current squad.
With the departure of Thomas Tuchel and the subsequent appointment of Peter Bosz at the helm, there are changes in the offing at Westfalenstadion. All of the aforementioned suitors may stand a better chance of winning silverware, with Bayern Munich establishing a monopoly on the Bundesliga summit.
Manchester United are unlikely to be able to offer a regular spot in the first eleven, something that Arsenal and Chelsea may be able to provide and the same reason could see the Red Devils lag behind their rivals in the race.
It is likely to be down to Arsenal and Chelsea. And, if Wenger can convince the Greek enough, the player may relinquish the lure of Champions League football in order to become a part of the Arsenal project.
