Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone could reportedly sign Konstantinos Mavropanos from Stuttgart in the January window for £13m – a whole £10m more than Arsenal sold him for in the summer, after his loan spell in Germany.
Mavropanos, 25, spent two years on loan at Stuttgart from Arsenal between 2020 and 2022. The German side then paid £3million in the summer to make the a deal a permanent one. He has certainly impressed in his two and a bit years.
It ended four and a half years on the books at Arsenal, but the Greece international only managed eight appearances at first-team level. Now, he is starring in Germany even if Stuttgart sit in 16th place. Atletico Madrid are keen on a deal.
German newspaper BILD report that Simeone is interested. The Argentine wants to take him to Atletico Madrid and it could see Stuttgart boast an immediate profit of £10million – with Stuttgart looking to rake in a fee of £13m for him.
Simeone could sign Mavropanos for £10m more than Arsenal sold him
So, did Arsenal sell him on the cheap? Ultimately, they had no option. But perhaps, it might have been better to keep Mavropanos at Arsenal and allowed him to battle for a first-team spot – and then sell him on for a more expensive fee.
Indeed, he would have got game time. Arsenal do have cover at centre-back for William Saliba and Gabriel. But with Ben White playing on the right, Rob Holding is their only other option in the middle. Mavropanos would have played.
Instead, Arsenal will have to watch a player they sold for just £3m join Atletico Madrid, if a move goes through, for a whole lot more cash than they raked in just a few months ago. Stuttgart, meanwhile, are laughing – an instant profit.
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