Sokratis Papastathopoulos admits he may have to leave Werder Bremen

Sokratis Papastathopoulos: Looking to compete on the European stage

Sokratis Papastathopoulos admits failure to secure European qualification would force him to contemplate making a move away from Werder Bremen.

The highly-rated Greece international is determined to compete at the highest level possible, and currently sees Werder languishing in the bottom half of the Bundesliga standings.

The former AC Milan centre-half, who attracted interest from Manchester United and Arsenal after bursting onto the scene at AEK Athens, turned down the opportunity to move in January, having revealed in the build-up to the winter window that he had shunned 'several enquiries from clubs around Europe'.

The 24-year-old, who only moved to Germany last summer, is, however, prepared to admit that he will look to secure a switch elsewhere if Werder fail to match his ambition.

"I am looking to contribute heavily and give my absolute best to ensure that we end up in the best possible position in the table at the end of the season," Papastathopoulos told Kicker-Sportmagazin.

"I am under contract at Werder Bremen and I have ambitions here. But I will need to think about my club future if we fail to qualify for Europe once again."