Arsenal have reportedly put a £10.6m price-tag on stalwart Laurent Koscielny, while £27m-rated youngster William Saliba is being eyed as his replacement.
The 33-year-old has been with the Gunners since 2010, making over 350 appearances for the club since while winning two FA Cups.
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However, as he continues to edge towards the latter stages of his career, it appears as though question marks are being raised over his future at the Emirates, with The Mirror now noting that he has a £10.6m valuation and Borussia Dortmund could be keen on a summer swoop.
Should an exit materialise, Arsenal will need to fill the sizeable void that he would leave behind, and it’s added that £27m-rated Saint-Etienne starlet Saliba is being eyed as his long-term replacement in the backline.
No agreements have been reached in either instance just yet though, and so it remains to be seen if the pieces fall into place for the deals to happen, while it’s noted that Saliba could even return to France on loan for a season to continue his development and gain further experience.
That surely won’t suit Arsenal though given their dire defensive record last season, as they conceded 51 goals in 38 league games to have the unwanted title of having the second worst defensive record out of the top nine sides in the standings.
In turn, whether it’s Koscielny staying for another year until his contract expires or Saliba arriving to replace him and staying rather than being loaned out, the Gunners surely can’t afford to be a defender lighter next season given their vulnerabilities at the back were already exposed.
The Mirror add that Dayot Upamecano and Joachim Andersen are two other names being linked with Arsenal, and so it seems as though they have alternatives lined up if a move for Saliba doesn’t go through and it does suggest that Koscielny could be on his way out of the Emirates.
