Arsenal are reportedly closing in on green lighting an exit for defensive stalwart Laurent Koscielny this summer with a move to Bordeaux touted.
The 33-year-old has been with the Gunners since 2010, and has gone on to make over 350 appearances for the club having established himself as their defensive stalwart.
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Injuries have been a problem for him along the way, but he has remained a pivotal figure for Arsenal at the back.
Nevertheless, after their leaky defence emerged as an issue last season having conceded 51 goals in 38 Premier League games to give them the second worst defensive record of the top nine sides, it could be argued that Unai Emery needed to make changes anyway.
That has seemingly been forced upon the Spanish tactician though, with the club’s official site noting last month how Koscielny refused to travel with the squad for their pre-season tour, thus pushing for a shock exit from north London given his ties to the Gunners and the length of his spell at the Emirates.
According to ESPN, he is now on the verge of sealing that exit with a medical set to be completed on Tuesday with Bordeaux after he flew out to France on Monday night following an agreement being reached between the two clubs.
Further, it’s added that he’ll cost them around €5m and will sign a three-year contract, and so his stint with Arsenal appears to be on the brink of coming to an end.
It’s added by The Sun that Arsenal did try to convince him to stay but he opted to snub talks with Emery, and so with that in mind, it seems like the most sensible and desired outcome for the player himself, while Arsenal will hope to fill that void before Thursday’s deadline.
They have snapped up talented youngster William Saliba this summer, but given he was sent back to Saint Etienne on loan for the season, they’ll have to identify a more immediate solution until he returns next year.
