Sokratis has an agreement with Arsenal to cancel his contract and move to Napoli, but if the Serie A side don’t act soon he’ll go elsewhere.

Olympiakos' French midfielder Mathieu Valbuena (L) vies with Arsenal's Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos (R) during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg football match between Olympiakos and Arsenal at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, near Athens, on February 20, 2020.
Olympiakos’ Mathieu Valbuena (L) vies with Sokratis Papastathopoulos (R) on February 20, 2020. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) Sokratis has an agreement to leave Arsenal for free this summer. Napoli are the leading contenders for his signature, agreeing on a three-year deal worth €4m per season after tax.

However, there’s still a major obstacle preventing the deal. Napoli want to sell Kalidou Koulibaly first, and a potential transfer to Manchester City is dragging on. Sokratis isn’t willing to wait too long, as he has other options.

The 32-year-old has significant contract offers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as interest from within the Premier League, according to the same report. He doesn’t want to risk missing out on a move altogether, so he’ll only wait so long.

The Italian outlet still think a move to Napoli is the most likely option. They put it at around 60%, with the odds of an Arsenal stay or a move elsewhere at 20% each. But clearly, the situation needs to start moving forward.

Arsenal will be similarly keen to see Napoli make a decision. They need to get Sokratis off the books to free up some more cash and save non-homegrown squad spaces.

For the time being, Sokratis is out with an injury. The latest update suggested he’d return to full training this week.