The Bundesliga club are interested in bringing Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny in the summer as the Gunners look to move the defender on.
Arsenal are indeed looking out for defensive reinforcements but could be set to lose some of their existing stars in the summer. While Shkodran Mustafi’s name has been thrown around frequently for departures, Laurent Koscielny’s name has emerged lately within that list. Daily Mail are reporting that Borussia Dortmund might be ready to offer the Arsenal captain a move in the summer.
Koscielny played a prominent role in Arsenal’s season as the Gunners finished fifth in the league and lost to Chelsea in the Europa League Final. The Gunners’ captain has a year left on his deal, and the club could be ready to cash in while there is some interest in him. Borussia Dortmund are seemingly keen on Koscielny and might be looking to make a move in the coming days.
Dortmund narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich and now want a defender with vast experience. Koscielny’s name has been mentioned because he has the expertise Dortmund probably missed this season. His inclusion could shore up the backline, especially for important games.
Lucien Favre would want the club to go for the defender after he showed he can still perform at the highest level, the way he did for Arsenal in the past season. Koscielny was virtually an outsider to play for Arsenal last season after suffering a horrific Achilles injury in the Europa League the season before. The understanding was that he may not feature much under Unai Emery.
Koscielny defied all odds to come back strongly from the injury and play a crucial role in Arsenal’s season. The Frenchman became an undisputed starter over season regular Mustafi and always made the team-sheet. However, at an advancing age of 33 years, Koscielny may not be able to perform at the highest level for many seasons, although Dortmund might consider him a short-term option.
Arsenal are about to embark on a transfer quest of their own in this window, but with limited budget than before. Failure to qualify for the Champions League will supposedly have adverse effects on their spending, but the Gunners have still prioritised defensive signings over other areas. Young defenders like Saint-Etienne’s William Saliba and RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano are linked, and they might as well be Koscielny’s replacement.
However, it remains a question as to why Arsenal want to move Koscielny on, as the defender showed he still has the fight to perform at the very top. The reason could be financially motivated, but the Gunners know they would hardly get any money for an ageing defender. In all, if the Dortmund links are indeed true, then Koscielny will have one more shot at a top team, and the Bundesliga could be exciting.
