Sokratis Papastathopoulos is edging towards a January exit from Arsenal, according to reports in the English media.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Portsmouth FC and Arsenal FC at Fratton Park on March 02, 2020 in Portsmouth, England.
PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND: Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Portsmouth FC and Arsenal FC at Fratton Park on March 02, 2020. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

The Athletic report that Sokratis Papastathopoulos is edging towards an Arsenal exit in the January transfer window. This follows Chris Wheatley’s report for Football.London that Olympiacos are keen on the signing.

Reports in Turkey suggest Sokratis has chosen a move to Fenerbahce, but the English reports are less certain of that. They suggest the 32-year-old is still assessing his options, with a number of clubs making enquiries.

Sokratis is open to leaving, after possible moves to Napoli and another unnamed major European team fell through on summer transfer deadline day.

Previous reports from Turkish outlets suggested Fenerbahce were in the race for the defender, even reaching a preliminary agreement with him. But they suggested he was holding off on a final decision at this stage.

From Arsenal’s point of view, they’re happy to terminate Sokratis’ contract early and get his wages off the books. They need the extra squad space and are happy for him to go and play.