Arsenal: Harry Maguire doing Sokratis a premium service

Arsenal fans are a voracious bunch. Just days after signing Sokratis, they want Harry Maguire. Which is actually fantastic for Sokratis.

Arsenal didn’t sign Harry Maguire when they could have – surprise! As if we haven’t heard this spiel before. Maguire is added to a lengthy list of players who should be on the books at the Emirates, but sadly aren’t.

And of course, this news is coming right on the backs of the solution that has been called on for a porous defense where Maguire might have been.

It was only a matter of time before we started talking about how we only have Sokratis when we could have had Harry Maguire. I’m actually not even sure if this chatter has started yet, but it will, trust me.

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With Maguire’s heroics at the World Cup, on the center stage, his value is climbing triumphantly into the atmosphere, and everyone will be begging for him to join up this summer. Although, as we have seen in the past, Leicester are tough customers.

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Regardless, while Maguire and his non-Gunner career is blossoming, Sokratis is, well, remaining the same.

To me, I think the main thing that initially killed the Sokratis signing was the lack of pomp. We wanted someone great, grand and glorious to swoop in on a stallion and whip this defense into shape and Sokratis doesn’t carry that illustrious profile. Not like Maguire now does.

But with Maguire’s ascent, the expectations on Sokratis are plummeting out of a mixture of despondence and realism.

Which is the best thing that could happen for the Greek defender. Kill his expectations so we can look at him through an unclouded lens. Because buried beneath the lack of pomp is a talented, gritty defender who has only just had a bad year.

It’s not like Sokratis is the creme de la creme of who we might have signed, but he is far from a flop. Even as I moaned about how little I was excited about this signing, I was still perfectly satisfied. And that satisfaction could quickly turn to being pleasantly surprised.

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At least that’s what I hope will happen. And partially thanks to Harry Maguire dousing the expectations of essentially every other defender out there.