Laurent Koscielny
The official Arsenal website has stated that the Gunners’ captain, Laurent Koscielny, has not travelled with the team for their pre-season tour. This is amid links suggesting that the retired French international wants a return to France after spending 9 years at the Emirates stadium.
The two teams that look most likely to get his signature are Rennes and Bordeaux (h/t Evening Standard). This is a very unpleasant surprise for most Arsenal fans as the Frenchman has been a good servant to the club but this action will long live in the memories and it’d be best if he were to leave.
Koscielny struggled in his early years at the Emirates. Later, however, he found himself becoming one of the finest defenders in the Premier League and came close to winning the title in the 2015/16 season before suffering a dip of form in the crucial stages of the season and handing it to Leicester City.
However, his time at the club hasn’t been without some silverware, having won 3 FA Cups.
His performances for the Gunners got him recognition and earned him a starting berth in the French national side. He made 51 appearances for the national squad but retired after missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to an Achilles tendon injury.
The injury had kept him out for a while before he got himself back during the second half of last season. However, he wasn’t exactly back to his best and his departure might not affect Arsenal much if they buy a centre-back to replace him.
Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin’s injuries didn’t help the defence and may have played a part in Arsenal’s leaky backline.
Koscielny is in his final year and it would be best if Arsenal sell him now and get some funds rather than having an unhappy player influence the dressing room negatively and leave for free next season.
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With only a month left for the transfer window to close, Arsenal need to find an immediate replacement because there is a lot of time left for potential sales but not enough time for incomings.
It’s best if the club part ways with the Frenchman before things get uglier and toxic.
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