Real Betis resolve defensive crisis by signing former Arsenal star on deal until the end of the season | OneFootball

Real Betis have been in the midst of a crisis in central defence. Luiz Felipe was sold to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad after the summer transfer window closed in Europe, and a few weeks later, Marc Bartra damaged his Achilles tendon, leading to a lengthy lay-off for the ex-Barcelona star.

That left head coach Manuel Pellegrini with just German Pezzella and Chadi Riad as natural centre-back options. As a result, Betis’ sporting department has been scouring the free agent market in an effort to bring another to the club, which they have now done.

Betis recently re-opened talks with former Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and the Andalusian club have now announced that the Greek international has joined until the end of this season.

Sokratis has been without a club since leaving Olympiacos in the summer, so it may take him a little while to get up to speed at Real Betis. However, he should still be an important option over the next few months, as Los Verdiblancos aim to have a successful season across La Liga and the Europa League.