Arsenal will be handed a boost to their transfer budget thanks to Stuttgart intending to make Konstantinos Mavropanos ' stay permanent ahead of a big summer window.
The Gunners are set to receive a £2.5million fee for the centre-back regardless of whether or not Pellegrino Matarazzo's side remain in the Bundesliga. That is according to German magazine Kicker, as relayed by Bulinews, and is contrary to previous reports which suggested relegation would have an impact on the price. Mavropanos was loaned out to the Swabian's for the second successive season prior to the beginning of this term and an option-to-buy clause was inserted into the deal.
A seven-time Greece international, the 24-year-old - whose contract expires in June 2023 - was signed by Arsenal from PAS Giannina for £1.8m in January 2016 and tipped to become a star at the Emirates. But four years and three managers later, Mavropanos' time in north London looks to be up after just eight first-term appearances, the most notable of which was his debut against Manchester United in April 2018, earning plaudits despite the Gunners losing 2-1 at Old Trafford.
The highly-rated defender has enjoyed his time in Germany, starting with a six-month loan to Nurnberg in 2020 and at Stuttgart since, all while Arsenal have spent a combined £77m on fellow centre-backs Gabriel Magalhees and Ben White. This season, Mavropanos has made 24 Bundesliga appearances and chipped in with four goals. Sometimes helping out at right-back to further demonstrate his ability in both directions, Matarazzo has been impressed with his performances.
"He always shows in training that he can produce magic," the Italian-American coach said. "He's got heart, energy and determination. We need guys like him." His praise was followed by the Swabian's sporting director, Sven Mislintat - formerly head of recruitment for the Gunners - who added: "Dinos is a prototype of everything this team stands for: always working, with a desire to win and to constantly improve.
"And when things aren't going well, he doesn't get negative. He always communicates well with his colleagues, and is always looking forward." Mislintat also noted to BILD : "He says very clearly – if he doesn't play a role in Arsenal’s planning, he wants to stay with us. That's an awesome statement, and it helps us. A lot has been set up for an extension to work."
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Mavropanos has already hinted that Stuttgart is his ideal destination by telling BILD : "We have to wait and see. For me, everything is perfect at the moment. The club and the city." The increased funds will be good news for manager Mikel Arteta, who has already talked up the club's task ahead of the summer.
"I think now is the moment we have to go to a different level," the Gunners boss explained earlier this month. "We have been able to get the squad balance in a much better shape. Financially, we are in a much more stable position with the money we have spent on certain players touching the pitch for a certain amount of minutes. That balance is much better spread out across the squad. And now is the moment to raise the quality." With Mavropanos' departure seemingly imminent, it appears that Arteta sees quality elsewhere.
