Transfer update : Arsenal complete signing of Mavropanos

The 20 year old will join Arsenal for €2.1m and Goal caught up with a journalist who has seen him play regularly in the Greek Super League.

Arsenal have completed the signing of PAS Giannina starlet Kostas Mavropanos for a fee in the region of €2.1 million (£1.8m) . The 20 year old defender only made his professional debut in November 2016 but has gone on to become one of Greek football’s most sought-after youngsters. Ahead of the move being completed,Gazzetta.gr journalist Thodoris Vasilis, who gave us the lowdown on Mavropanos and what the deal means for Greek Super League side PAS.

 Manager Arsene Wenger said following Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Chelsea that Mavropanos was being viewed as a prospect for the future and would likely be sent out on loan. The Greece Under-21 international is the first Arsenal signing since the overhaul of the club's scouting and recruitment department. Head of recruitment Sven Mislintat was brought in from Borussia Dortmund in November, taking over from long-serving chief scout Steve Rowley. Vasilis added:

"He’s considered the ‘next big thing’ in terms of Greek defenders after the likes of Panagiotis Retsos (Bayer Leverkusen), Sokratis (Borussia Dortmund) and Manolas (Roma) left Greece for Europe. "Olympiakos was close to signing him in October for €1m. However, it was not an official offer from Olympiakos. They wanted to have the first refusal on the player if he became for sale in January. PAS told them that if they received a better offer from outside they will accept it, which is why he is now heading to Arsenal."

 The transfer fee will make a similar kind of impact for Mavropanos' current club as Neymar's world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain did last summer. "In terms of what the deal means for PAS Giannina, it’s huge," said Vasilis. "Two million may not sound like a lot to those who follow the major European leagues but it will be the biggest in the club’s history. The deal is like Neymar joining Paris Saint-Germain – yes, that big! "Interestingly, Arsenal’s chief scout Sven Mislintat watched Greece Under-20s play last summer and signed young Olympiakos player Argiris Kampetsis (for Mislintat's former club Borussia Dortmund).

 He clearly has knowledge of the Greek market and Mavropanos’ arrival could be the start of similar signings, if his previous work is anything to go by.