Arsenal are on the verge of signing Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis in a deal worth £16m, claims The Independent.
The Gunners look set to overhaul their defensive options this summer and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat is spearheading their transfer activity.
Mislintat raided former club Dortmund for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January and is now close to prising Sokratis away from the Bundesliga club.
The 29-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his current Dortmund deal and the Gunners are close to agreeing a £16m fee, having initially offered £13m.
Laurent Koscielny is unlikely to play again this year and Sokratis will help fill the void left by the Arsenal captain.
Arsenal are also in talks with Swiss right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, who is out of contract this summer and will leave Juventus on a free.
In the last three Bundesliga campaigns, only three players have completed more passes in their own half of the pitch than Sokratis (3,198).
