Who is this defender who’s Arsenal’s first January window signing? Everything you need to know

Scout Report – Konstantinos Mavropanos

Arsenal have signed Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and have announced the same on their official website. The 20-year-old has established himself as a regular for PAS Giannina this season and it is the new Arsenal chief scout Sven Mislintat, who is understood to have identified him as a recruit.

There were some reports stating that he might be loaned out to Werder Bremen to continue his development but had the Gunners chosen to keep him, it would have been a far greater opportunity for the youngster. For all we know, Mavropanos has become Arsenal’s second Greek signing after Stathis Tavlaridis, who played for the club back in 2001. Let’s take a closer look at the young star’s profile.

History

Born in 1997 in Greece, Mavropanos embarked on his career with Apollon Smyrnis F.C, when he was about 13 years of age. He spent a good six years at the club and strengthened his basics there, following which he made his way to PAS Giannina. Last season, he made only 2 appearances for the club after having made his debut in November 2016. This time though, he has already notched up 14 appearances for the Super League side and has even contributed 3 goals.

As far as international appearances are concerned, Mavropanos has made a couple of appearances for the Greece U21 side over the course of last year.

Playing Style

A natural centre-back, Mavropanos is quite solid at what he does in terms of defence. He knows how to use his physicality to make blocks and tackles and is quite adept at stopping opponents from marching ahead. He does have a tendency to get a bit aggressive and do the dirty work, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

However, it must be noted that he has received a whopping 6 yellow cards in his 14 appearances so far this season. That said, he also contributes to the attack, as seen by his goals, and if he is moulded right, Mavropanos will definitely be one to watch out for.

Mavropanos’ Future

It is quite evident that Arsenal have signed him as an option for the future. Arsene Wenger has already mentioned that he will be sent out on loan to further his development. At present, the Gunners do not need a centre-back but once Mavropanos racks up better experience and skills, he will most certainly be a valuable addition.