Werder Bremen secure Greek signing

Werder Bremen have taken up the option to sign Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos on a permanent basis.

The Greece international stopper has been on loan at the club all season and has made 29 appearances for Bremen during the campaign. There was a clause in his contract that stated he could make the transfer from Genoa permanent if both parties agreed and Bremen's director of sport, Klaus Allofs, has announced that he is now their player. "The contractual details have been resolved 100% and we have taken our option on him," he said. "Sokratis will be playing for Werder Bremen in the coming years." The news comes at a time when several of their players have been linked with moves away from the club, with goalkeeper Tim Wiese not extending his contract while Claudio Pizarro has also turned down a contract extension.