Mikel Arteta allowed Konstantinos Mavropanos to leave on loan with a view to a permanent deal due to the doubts he had over the Arsenal starlet’s distribution, according to a report from Football London.
Mavropanos has been superb since returning to Stuttgart for a second loan spell in the summer.
The 23-year-old has actually scored three times in nine Bundesliga appearances. That return leaves him at the top of their scoring charts so far.
Remarkably, the player alongside him with three goals is fellow centre-back Marc-Oliver Kempf.
His form must have left some Arsenal fans hoping that he would receive another chance at the Emirates when his loan spell ends.
However, the stage appears to be set for Mavropanos to join the German club permanently next year.
As reported by Football London, Stuttgart are obliged to spend just £2.5 million to keep him should they stay up. At this stage, that appears to be in no doubt. In fact, the report claims that he will leave permanently.
And Football London has now shared the reason why Arteta was content with letting him leave in the summer.
Their report notes that the Spaniard had concerns about Mavropanos’ ability on the ball, and more specifically, his distribution.
Arsenal selling Mavropanos will probably be best move for all, but £2.5m fee may be bitter pill to swallow
Arsenal have an exciting crop of defenders on their books. Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a superb partnership this season.
Meanwhile, they also have William Saliba to potentially come into the fold next year.
So Arsenal may not necessarily rue losing Mavropanos if he does go permanently. However, the fee involved now looks incredibly low.
His form in Germany suggests that he could be worth a lot more before too long – despite Arteta’s concerns.
