Arsenal are reportedly clear to complete a deal for a Borussia Dortmund defender after the German giants agreed to sign his replacement.
Dortmund’s director of football, Michael Zorc, has confirmed that the club will sign Abdou Diallo for €25million to replace Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who is bound for The Emirates. The report suggests that the Greek star’s switch to the Gunners is virtually done and that Arsenal have agreed an €18.2m (£16m) deal for Papastathopoulos.
Diallo, ironically, had also been a target for Arsenal and was talked about as a potential January arrival, after being recommended to Arsene Wenger by chief scout Sven Mislintat. Get French Football News commented at the time that Diallo’s club, Mainz, had told the north London giants that the defender would cost around £26m and that Arsenal baulked at the price.
Diallo is now set to pen a 5-year deal at Dortmund, while Unai Emery will boost his central defensive options with the signing of Papastathopoulos. Arsenal and Liverpool, meanwhile, could both be set to miss out on the signing of a Sporting Lisbon winger, according to reports on Monday.