Arsenal’s new ‘transfer guru’ secures his first major signing

Arsenal's new head of recruitment has wasted no time in getting busy in the January transfer window.

Sven Mislintat has secured his first signing since moving to the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in November and it comes in the form of the £1.9 million arrival of Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The centre-half was recruited from PAS Giannina and is expected to be sent out on loan immediately to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for the rest of the season. Mavropanos, a Greece U21 international, stands at 6ft 4ins and possesses the kind of physicality required of defenders to succeed in England. Arsenal fans will hope that the signing of the 20-year-old, who is regarded as one of the most promising defensive talents in Europe, is just the first of many acquisitions of Mislintat, who spotted the potential of superstars like Shinji Kagawa, Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Nicknamed 'Diamond Eye', Mislintat decided to swap Dortmund for the Emirates late last year after citing an issue with former manager Thomas Tuchel as the reason behind the motivation to move. "I probably never would have considered thinking about other clubs," Mislintat said in November. "But the training ground ban, initiated by the club's former coach, as well as the instructions to keep away from the inner circle, from players, from the staff, from many friends with whom I worked so closely throughout the years, all of that influenced my thinking. "I already had offers in the past years, but I never really considered making changes."