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Arsenal have signed a new player and were in advanced talks, confirmed by manager Arsene Wenger after their draw with Chelsea, to make their first signing of the January transfer window – although it is not the big name that many of their fans have wanted.
Instead the Gunners signed 20-year old centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos from Greek side PAS Gianna for an undisclosed fee.
The under-21 Greek international is one of the first players to be identified by Arsenal’s new scouting team, led by the recently appointed Sven Mislintat, and although not ready for Premier League action yet, Mavropanos is regarded as one of his country’s brightest young prospects.
Arsenal are looking to lower the age profile of their central defenders, with Per Mertesacker set to retire at the end of the season and Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal both the wrong side of 30, so signing a player like Mavropanos, who stands more than 6 foot 3 inches tall, and has made 20 appearances for Gianna to date, would appear to fit the bill.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.