Arsenal's Sokratis to Napoli if Koulibaly heads to Man City

Posted Monday, September 21, 2020 by ESPN

Arsenal's Sokratis to Napoli if Koulibaly heads to Man City
Arsenal defender Sokratis might be heading to Napoli. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos could be on his way to Napoli, according to Corriere dello Sport, but only if Kalidou Koulibaly leaves for pastures new.

Gunners defender Papastathopoulos is thought to have an agreement in place with the Italian club, but the deal is dependent on Koulibaly's next move.

The in-demand Frenchman has been courted by Manchester City all summer, but the Premier League side have yet to meet Napoli's asking price. Koulibaly's agent is believed to be acting as a mediator in an effort to get the transfer over the line, but that leaves Papastathopoulos in limbo.

The 32-year-old is aware of the situation and is talking to Arsenal bosses in the meantime, though he's keen for the Gunners to let him go on a free transfer, despite having one year left on his contract.

However, should Koulibaly leave for City, Arsenal will no doubt want to recoup some of the £17.6 million they spent on Papastathopoulos in 2018.