Arsenal: If you're still not excited about Sokratis, you're doing it right

Arsenal are “set to announce” Sokratis later this week, according to reports, but if you aren’t excited about this move, you can be forgiven.

According to the reports, Sokratis is going to be announced by Arsenal in the next few days. We’ve known this was coming, because it was talked about ad nauseum, so a formal announcement is the last thing that is required before we can get behind our new man.

As he turns 30, Sokratis will be seen as the veteran presence of the back line that Laurent Koscielny would have been had he avoided his injury. Which means that a lot will be asked of Sokratis.

But thankfully, the pressure shouldn’t be that high on the Greek defender, because of several factors.

For starters, he is only going to cost about £16m, which is chump change in the modern transfer world. And, whether we like it or not, someone’s expectations are heavily influenced by how much they cost.

It’s why Calum Chambers is still being touted as a ‘disappointment’ while Rob Holding is hardly even talked about. It’s why Shkodran Mustafi is viewed as such a flop. Look at the difference in their transfer fees. £16m for Chambers (awhile ago, no less) and £2m for Holding. £35m for Mustafi.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

It’s no secret.

Sokratis is going to cost half of what Mustafi did, which means the expectations should be similarly halved. Perhaps moreso, because Sokratis just isn’t an exciting signing. People are skeptical for a reason. He isn’t a name that inspires much of anything. He didn’t have a good year at Borussia Dortmund, and many people see his arrival as something other than “he’s perfect for what we need.”

Some see it as “well, he has the Mislintat connection and he’s cheap, so maybe that’s why.” I think the same. Without the Mislintat connection, I don’t see why he would be topping the list. But maybe he knows something we don’t.

It’s okay to not be excited about this transfer. In fact, it’s better this way. Because, as mentioned, that keeps expectations incredibly low. I, for one, am expecting nothing more than a rotational option and a veteran presence on the pitch. Maybe a mentor for Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Anything more than that? I’ll be over the moon, and a lot of other people will be too.

Next: 3 Reasons To Sell Danny Welbeck

So if you’re not excited about Sokratis, continue with what you were doing. Because you’re doing it right.

Home/Arsenal Transfer Rumours

Arsenal: If you’re still not excited about Sokratis, you’re doing it right

By Josh Sippie | Jun 6, 2018

Arsenal are “set to announce” Sokratis later this week, according to reports, but if you aren’t excited about this move, you can be forgiven.

More from Pain in the Arsenal