Arsenal fans have hailed Sokratis Papastathopoulos as the “ultimate professional”, after the club agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
The Greek defender, who joined the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in July 2018 and was set to be out of contract in June, is now free to join a new club.
Sokratis made 69 appearances for Arsenal, helping the team reach the final of the Europa League in 2019 and win the FA Cup last summer.
As football.london exclusively reported, the 32-year-old centre-back is desperate to leave in order to find some game time after slipping down the pecking order at the club.
Sokratis played in the EFL Trophy in December and turned out for Arsenal’s under-23s a few times at the end of 2020.
“On behalf of Mikel, our coaches, players and everyone at the club, I would like to thank Papa for his contribution to the club,” technical director Edu said.
"He has been an important part of our group and has been a model professional throughout.
“The negotiations to end his contract have been collaborative and we wish Papa and his family well for the future.”
While Gunners fans understood the reasoning behind his departure, they also paid tribute to Sokratis’ contribution to the club over the past three years.
When he played, the former Dortmund man was always a physical and determined presence in the centre of defence, although perhaps Arsenal’s style of play was not suited to him.
Here’s what Gunners supporters made of the decision to end his contract early.
Sokratis, who joins Mesut Ozil in terminating his deal early to move on in the January transfer window, reflected on his time with the club on social media.
“One of the most enjoyable times in my career ended today,” he tweeted.
“It has been an honour to wear the Arsenal shirt and I want to thank all the coaches, team-mates, staff and fans around the world for the love and respect they have given me.
“I gave everything for Arsenal and Arsenal also gave me a lot. I wish you all the best health and success always. Thank you.”
