Unemployed former Arsenal ace linked with major transfer to Manchester United’s Champions League rivals
A FORMER Arsenal ace could be on the verge of a spectacular return to football with Bayern Munich.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos has been without a club since his contract with Olympiacos ran out in June.
According to Bild, however, Bayern are considering Sokratis to reinforce their defence amid an ongoing injury crisis.
The German champions’ starting centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano have both been sidelined.
De Ligt is dealing with a knee problem while Upamecano suffered a hamstring injury against Freiburg on Sunday.
And manager Thomas Tuchel could turn to Sokratis with whom he has a very good relationship.
Tuchel and the centre-back worked together at Borussia Dortmund, where the player made 198 appearances during his five-year stint at the club before his move to Arsenal in 2018.
However, Bayern might wait until the end of the international break to fully assess De Ligt and Upamecano’s fitness.
The Bavarians will then decide whether to go after another central defender in the January transfer window.
But the ex-Chelsea boss will want both players available on December 12 when Bayern visit Old Trafford for their return fixture against Manchester United in the Champions League.
This comes after Tuchel’s side decided against reinstating Jerome Boateng to the squad.
Boateng has been training with the reserves ever since his departure from Lyon in June.
Sokratis, though, has had other offers as he was also approached by Real Betis.
Betis wanted the 35-year-old to move to the Benito Villamarin and replace the injured Marc Bartra.
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According to transfer insider Matteo Moretto, however, negotiations between the two parties fell through.
Sokratis spent three years at Arsenal where he registered six goals and two assists in 69 appearances.
The ex-Greece international also won the FA Cup in 2020 before his move to Olympiacos a year later.