LONDON -- Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Arsenal will make 20-year-old Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos their first January signing from PAS Giannina.
Asked about the deal after Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday, Wenger said: "Yes but he's not ready to play for us, we'll give him out on loan."
A source had told ESPN FC earlier Wednesday that the clubs were negotiating a deal worth about £2 million and that would likely see Mavropanos sent on loan to Werder Bremen in order to gain more first-team experience.
Wenger had said on Tuesday that he is also looking to sign "exceptional" players in January that can give his side an immediate boost.
Mavropanos is a towering centre-back who has impressed in his first full season in the Greek league, scoring three goals in 14 appearances.
Arsenal will need a replacement for retiring captain Per Mertesacker next season, while Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal are also both in their 30s.
However, Arsenal already have young centre-back duo Calum Chambers and Rob Holding, while highly rated Krystian Bielik is spending this season on loan at Birmingham.