Arsenal Opinion: Gunners should offer Laurent Koscienly fresh terms at the earliest
According to Daily Mail, Arsenal club-captain Laurent Koscielny is eyeing a fresh start to his career and could head for the exit door at the end of the current season.
Daily Mail understands that Arsenal are yet to offer the 33-year-old a new deal, with his present contract set to expire in the summer of 2020.
Koscielny has held talks with the Gunners over a new deal but it has been reported that the Frenchman is tempted by the prospect of playing for a new team given that the north Londoners have stalled on offering him fresh terms. (h/t Daily Mail)
The Frenchman is likely to have plenty of suitors should he decide to leave Arsenal after the Europa League final against Chelsea, with Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen leading the race to land the 33-year-old in the summer transfer window.
Daily Mail claims that Serie A giants AC Milan and Ligue 1 outfit Rennes are also alert to the Frenchman’s contract situation at Arsenal and both the club are weighing up moves for him.
Koscienly, who made his move to Arsenal from French club Lorient back in 2010, is one of the longest-serving players at the club, having accumulated a staggering 352 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions till date, scoring on 27 occasions. The 33-year-old missed the World Cup in Russia last summer due to a cruciate ligament injury and returned to action for Arsenal in December.
The club-captain played a key role under Unai Emery in the first-team since his return from injury and managed to hold his own more often than not amidst Arsenal’s defensive woes.
Despite spending large chunks of the season on the treatment table, Koscielny has made 28 competitive appearances for the Gunners in all competitions and he will be expected to add to that in the Europa League final.
To put things into perspective, Koscielny has been a wonderful servant to the club and offering him a new deal should be an absolute no-brainer for the Gunners, particularly with another old war-horse Aaron Ramsey set to leave on a free transfer this summer.
Losing two of their most established players in a single transfer window could spell disaster and the management need to be aware of the consequences.
Arsenal should extend the 33-year-old’s stay not only because of the fact that he is a great leader on and off the pitch, but Koscielny is the sort of centre-back who perfectly fits Unai Emery’s philosophy.
Exceptionally strong in the air and blessed with incredible ball-playing abilities, the veteran is still by far the best defender in the club’s ranks and letting him depart makes absolutely no sense.
The Gunners ended up conceding 51 goals in the Premier League this term, which is the third-worst defensive record amongst the teams in the top ten. Koscienly, who featured in 17 Premier League games this season, deserves a fair share of the blame for the team’s lacklustre defensive displays but Arsenal need to get it very clear that the 33-year-old is not the only one to blame.
The likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal and Sokratis have all been very inconsistent and Koscienly played his role pretty well, certainly as a player, if not as a leader.
The Gunners are in dire need of bringing in defensive reinforcements this summer, but whoever comes in would take time to acclimatise to the Premier League and the manager’s philosophy and Koscienly’s charismatic presence should be a huge asset to the club.
Arsenal are still very much in a transition period following the end of the Arsene Wenger era and losing their long-standing skipper would only hamper their progress.
Agreed, they need to bring in younger players keeping the long-term goals in mind but Koscienly still has a lot to offer at the highest level, both as a player and a leader.
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Keeping that in mind, the Gunners need to offer their club captain fresh terms as soon as possible and it is not difficult to see why they need to keep hold of him for another season or two.
