Arsenal: Sokratis makes Laurent Koscielny the new Per Mertesacker

Arsenal are nearing the £16 million signing of Borussia Dortmund centre-half Sokratis. His impending arrival makes Laurent Koscielny what Per Mertesacker was these past two seasons.

It seems as though Arsenal are set to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-half Sokratis in the coming days. As reported by David Ornstein and now Jack Pitt-Brooke, the 29-year-old is likely to make the north London switch this summer for a fee in the region of £16 million. So what does his impending arrival mean?

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Well, firstly, I guess I should look at what Sokratis himself will actually offer. Yes, he’s a centre-half with vast experience of having played for one of the best teams in Europe for half a decade. But what kind of player is he and is he one that Arsenal require?

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His most noticeable quality is his size. He is a bulldozing-type defender, dominating aerially and in the tackle. He is strong, powerful, deceptively quick once he gets his frame moving, and can physically overpower players. He will deal with the perceived increased physicality of the Premier League with few problems whatsoever. The problems come between the ears, like so many modern-day defenders.

Individual, needless errors, positional mistakes, inconsistent distribution. They have all plagued his game, especially this past season. Nevertheless, such is his age, his experience and his physical qualities, he will start this season at the heart of the Gunners’ defence, likely alongside Shkodran Mustafi, who too suffers from the same sort of infuriating inconsistencies that lead to wild and vehement vilification of his qualities. If that is the case, and I do expect it to be so, then there is a clear relegation for 32-year-old and ruptured-Achilles-recovering Laurent Koscielny.

The Frenchman is already expected to be unavailable until December at the earliest. Then you have the rigamarole of re-discovering full-match sharpness once he returns, and it could easily be February before he is ready for regular game time. Suddenly, his seemingly entrenched position in the starting line-up is rather uncertain.

It is a pathway that is very reminiscent of Per Mertesacker two years ago. Suffering a knee injury in the preseason, Mertesacker hardly played the next year as Mustafi was signed to replace him in the starting XI alongside Koscielny. But Mertesacker remained present at London Colney, in the dressing room and at the Emirates, showing his support for his teammates while rehabilitating. And then, when he was called upon, he answered. It’s difficult to forget that FA Cup final performance.

Like Mustafi with Mertesacker, Sokratis is now set to play the usurper with Koscielny. It would surprise if we ever saw him play frequently for Arsenal again, perhaps resigned to the domestic cups and Europa League matches as Unai Emery rotates his options. And the time has come.

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As Mertesacker’s legs waned, Arsene Wenger diminished his responsibility, leaning instead on other members of the squad. Similarly, as Koscielny’s Achilles catches up with him, Arsenal must deliberately look to others. Koscielny still has his role in this squad, but it is not the same everpresent anchor that it has been in recent years. Sokratis is his successor.