Arsenal confirm signing of experienced Serie A defender

Arsenal have confirmed an agreement to sign Stephan Lichtsteiner from Juventus this summer. The Swiss international is expected to join the club officially when his Bianconeri contract expires at the end of the month.
Earlier this week, the Swiss right-back suggested that  ‘nothing‘ had been finalised with the north London giants but the Gunners appear to have since fast tracked the move with Lichtsteiner now being unveiled in the club’s home shirt.
The photograph session did not reveal the player’s shirt number but the club’s official website has now confirmed that he will don the number 12 jersey, previously worn by former fan favourite and current Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud.
The defence has supposedly become the main priority for the Gunners this summer after shipping 51 goals during the previous league campaign and the club’s officials appear to have shown a keen intent on adding experience at the back.
Apart from Lichtsteiner, the club are also close to wrapping up the signature of Borussia Dortmund centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos with his father Charalambos confirming that the Greek would be joining the Gunners in the coming days.
Like Lichtsteiner, Papastathopoulos has earned opportunities to take up the leadership duties at both club and international level and hopefully, the 29-year-old can resolve the club’s central defensive woes in Laurent Koscielny’s injury absence.
Meanwhile, Lichtsteiner is likely to play second fiddle to Hector Bellerin for the right-back position next term but the Swiss would nevertheless be providing valuable feedback to the young Spaniard, who has looked defensively vulnerable in the big games.
The ex-La Masia graduate is widely regarded as one of the fastest players in the Premier League but this has come as a disadvantage occasionally with the Spaniard losing possession of the ball at the opposition end without any cover behind him.