Arsenal’s Konstantinos Mavropanos transfer decision

Konstantinos Mavropanos has been a revelation for Stuttgart this season. Taking to German football like a duck to water, his most recent comments have left Arsenal with an interesting summer decision to make.

Interestingly, the defensive contingent of Arsenal’s loanees are flourishing, while the midfielders temporarily plying their trade elsewhere are suffering contrasting fortunes. William Saliba continues to prove why he’s among the best young defenders in Europe, but Konstantinos Mavropanos isn’t lagging too far behind.

The towering Greek centre-back’s immense form has caught almost everyone by surprise – the ‘almost’ being because Sven Mislintat knew. Him and those glorious shining eyes.

Man of the match awards, team of the week gongs and his praises sung from every rooftop in the southwestern city, Mavropanos’ stock keeps climbing.

https://twitter.com/DMavropanos/status/1371190850198368257

Arsenal have a Konstantinos Mavropanos transfer decision to make in summer window

What remains to be seen is whether his long-term future will be in north London.

Before moving away from Arsenal on loan, a wise decision from the club – not a regular utterance – saw the 23-year-old tied down until 2023 on a new contract. Protecting the value of their players and looking a few years further down the line is not something that has been attributed to Arsenal under their various leaderships of late.

So, with two years to run on his deal at the end of the season, it’s either get him signed down even longer, or sell. Based on the Greek defender’s latest comments, a return to the Bundesliga is taking his fancy.

"“My contract at Stuttgart ends in the summer and then I will return to Arsenal for the time being,” he told Stuttgarter Nachrichten. “But I can already see myself playing here for another year, because I feel good at Stuttgart.”"

He won’t be playing another year temporarily at Stuttgart next season. Arsenal will not loan him out again with 24 months left on his deal. It’d be farcical.

Thus, with admiring glances across the continent, it’s either sell, new contract or integrate.

As Saliba looks set to be battling for a regular berth in 2021/22, and given the outlay on him, a sale not only seems inevitable, but smartest. Let him continue to pull up trees in Germany and secure the biggest fee possible for the rebuild. While he’s playing out of his skin, the financial side of matters, not least if there is no European football next season, takes precedence.