Transfer Rumors: Real Betis May Give Greek Defender Break But Need To Crunch Numbers

Sokratis Papastathopoulos is looking to make a switch and at least one club has been identified as being interested in the Greek footballer.

That club is Real Betis who could give the forgotten Arsenal defender a break after being deemed surplus to the Gunners’ cause.

However, Lobos needs to unload some of its players to make the math work.

No thanks to the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, Betis needs to tweak their wage budget before they can embark on any major signings.

Several players could be cut or loaned out, namely Sidnei and William Carvalho. But if El Glorioso is determined to land Sokratis they need to act fast.

The good news is that Betis appears to be aggressively offering these players to other clubs. The Brazilian defender has been offered to Getafe, while Carvalho could be possibly dealt with Benfica.

Until these deals are done, all Betis can do right now is hope that no other club beats them to Sokratis.

Like them, the Gunners are also looking to move some players to get some financial flexibility. A reprieve could happen if Arsenal can unload Mesut Ozil first.

Like Sokratis, the German defender has been kept out of the regular lineup of Mikel Arteta. However, the Gunners could get a much-needed financial reprieve if the 32-year-old is taken in by interested clubs.

As mentioned in a previous post, several teams have been discussing a potential transfer for the embattled midfielder. That includes Fenerbahce and DC United in Major League Soccer although nothing has been settled as of this writing.

If Betis is unable to get anything done, they could still go after the Greek football player once his deal expires in June. But this is with the premise that is not dealt with other teams before then.

Sokratis is keeping his options open. He could return to Bundesliga or Serie A if a good offer is pitched to the Gunners.

Things have not gone well for the Greek player who arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He has made only 69 appearances across all competitions, managing only six goals so far.

His only major silverware was the FA Cup the Gunners won last summer.