Arsenal: ‘Expected’ Sokratis an unexpected waste of resources

Arsenal are reportedly ‘expected’ to welcome Sokratis as their first summer signing, but this is actually an unexpected waste of resources.

I’m all about having Arsenal look like geniuses by digging up treasures that no one else was all that interested in. I am not all about Arsenal trying to look like geniuses by digging up scrap metal that they thought was treasure and it turns out not to be.

Call it the Yaya Sanogo syndrome.

Or, if things turn out like I think they will, it could be called the Sokratis syndrome from here on out. The Greek defender is reportedly ‘expected’ to be the Gunners’ first summer signing, and this is something that I just can’t wrap my head around.

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Yes, £15m is not a lot of money for someone with the experience of Sokratis. But experience is what we had in Per Mertesacker and it’s what we will have in Laurent Koscielny. Stephan Lichtsteiner would bring it too, and he’s free – and more necessary. It’s not worth wasting money on, just for the sake of calling it a solution.

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Sokratis wasn’t just a part of a failing Borussia Dortmund defense this past season, he was a big reason why it failed. He was like Shkodran Mustafi for them, only worse. Yes, worse.

The only argument I have heard in his favor revolves around his price being cheap, and that it opens up the potential for him to be an under-the-radar solution. But I thought we were past the part where we needed to be clever. Again, I love being clever, but Sokratis is not a clever solution. I would far rather see our up and coming young defenders with the veteran leadership of Koscielny than whatever Sokratis is going to provide.

Plus, if you want to talk about what that £15m can get us, it is just shy of being enough to meet Dennis Praet’s release clause. It would probably be enough to land Sergio Rico and solve our goal-keeping woes.

The point is, no, it isn’t a lot of money, but that ‘not a lot of money’ can be used in so many better ways than on a gamble at centerback.

I trust this Arsenal brain trust more than I do my own assessment of these players, but this is pushing my limits. I don’t see the benefit in this one bit.

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But, as always, I will put my faith in the Mislintat crew, because he hasn’t steered us wrong yet.