Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos has been making all the right kind of noises this season and is now one of the most coveted centre backs in Europe. Although the Bundesliga outfit have maintained that they have no intention to sell the Greek youngster, two teams (Arsenal and Liverpool) from the Premier League are scouting for the 21-year old.
Liverpool are running a risk of losing some of their most prominent centre backs this season. Club legend Jamie Carragher has already called it a day after being the backbone of the defence for such a long period of time. Martin Skrtel has not been provided with decent playing time this season and now the Slovak wants to move out of the Merseyside. Uruguayan Coates is also undecided over his future and before the end of the transfer season may head out. To top all the miseries, one of the most loyal players of the club, Daniel Agger has attracted interests from the latest rich kids on the block, Monaco, who are ready to test his allegiance big time.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are in a mood to conduct some serious business this season and assemble a league winning squad which can absorb the wear and tear of the season. Although Wenger is set to continue with his centre back combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, he wants to add a certain depth to the team which justifies his interest for Papadopoulos, the Sun reports.
Now if Papadopoulos decides to join Rodgers’ side, he may be devoid of European football, but has greater chances to spend more time on the field. Rodgers has always stressed on a side filled with youth players and at 21, Papadopoulos is one of the most talented youth centre backs at the moment. It would be easy for him to settle down at the club, with so many other players of similar age and a manager who values him so much.
But one of Papadopoulos’s main drawbacks has been his temperament, which at times has dragged him into unnecessary controversy. This problem can be addressed better at Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger’s record of helping so many other players with similar concern.
But whichever team Papadopoulos joins, he would be a treat to watch out for next season onwards and the strikers of the Premier League should be aware of his capabilities and brace themselves for hard times ahead.
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