Arsenal: Sokratis not worth selling Shkodran Mustafi for

The link to Sokratis is getting real, but in the interest of not overcrowding, are Arsenal willing to let Shkodran Mustafi go for the Greek? Because they shouldn’t be.

Arsenal’s defense is wisely being tackled from the off this summer. After letting in over 50 goals for the first time since… like, ever, they have decided to explore the future of this defensive unit.

And, in the process of exploring, there are two big names being linked – Caglar Soyuncu and Sokratis. The former, a young up-and-comer. The latter, a w-t-f.

More isn’t always better. Just because we sign a defender or two doesn’t mean the defense is in any better shape than they would have otherwise been. Right now, this defense is riddled with a bunch of young guys that could potentially be excellent defenders.

None of them are bonafide champions or even sure-fire starters. Shkodran Mustafi is the closest. Presumably, Sokratis would enter that same realm as Mustafi, but given the lack of satisfaction around the German defender, as well as the similarities between Sokratis and Mustafi, you have to wonder if the latter factors into future plans.

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Not least of all because he was damn near an exit last summer, which we can’t forget about, because clearly it’s not just the fans who are a bit disenchanted with the German.

Let me just come right out and say it, if Sokratis is meant to replace and outbound Mustafi, then please, God, no. That is a horrible trade off. Mustafi has gobs of potential and has showcased it time and again. Sokratis is on the decline and, as we have learned from the always-steady Laurent Koscielny, reliable defenders become less-so when they reach a certain age.

All signs point to Sokratis being past that certain age, or at least near it. And he never reached the heights that Koscielny did, honestly.

So if he is meant to be the replacement for Mustafi then this is a terrible idea, and one that we shouldn’t be too optimistic about, despite my eternal mission to approach everything with optimism.

Maybe Sokratis is here to replace Koscielny, which I guess isn’t the worst idea, but why not let a younger option do that part?

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It’s all just a bit odd. Honestly, if the club sees fit to sell Mustafi, I’ll pitch a fit, but given the right replacement, I can get over my attachment to the German. But Sokratis is not the right replacement.

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