Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth spent some time talking about the possibility of Liverpool signing Arsenal centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos during the latest edition of the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast.
This comes after transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Merseyside club have been offered the chance to sign the 32-year-old, who hasn’t made a single appearance for Arsenal’s first-team this season, per Romano’s Here We Go podcast, via TEAMtalk.
While discussing the possibility of Sokratis reuniting with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who managed him previously at Borussia Dortmund, Sheth teased that this potential deal is “not as far-fetched as you might think,” with Liverpool experiencing something of a crisis at the centre-back position at present, as Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are both out of action with long-term injuries and Joel Matip has only just returned to training from an injury of his own.
The journalist said: “Fabrizio Romano’s even said that Sokratis was offered to Liverpool – not as far-fetched as you might think. Sokratis actually played under Jurgen Klopp when he was at Borussia Dortmund.”
Would Sokratis be a good signing for Liverpool?
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TIF Thoughts on what Sheth said about Sokratis and Liverpool…
Sokratis has made no secret of his positive feelings towards Klopp. He raved over the work that the German manager and his backroom staff did with him during his time at Borussia Dortmund, hailing Klopp and his coaching team as being “among the best in the world” in their roles.
More recently, in 2019, the Greek defender explained that he “had a good relationship” with Klopp at Dortmund.
So, it would seem safe to say that Sokratis would have no objection to linking back up with the German coach and if Klopp feels the same way, then perhaps Sheth is right in suggesting that this is a deal that could potentially happen – even if only on the basis of the two parties previously working together.
However, with Klopp having urged Reds fans not to expect the club to sign a centre-back this month, perhaps a move for the Arsenal outcast is unlikely, especially when Sokratis has not enjoyed a single minute of competitive football this term.