Arsenal Opinion: 2 Laurent Koscielny replacements Emery must consider
According to a report from the Daily Star, Arsenal have named the asking price for their skipper Laurent Koscielny amidst interest from Borussia Dortmund.
The Frenchman, 33, has been at Arsenal since moving from FC Lorient in 2010, but with just one year left on his contract the club are looking to cash in on him. He has been struggling with injuries for some years now and he was limited to just 17 Premier League appearances last season.
A two-time FA Cup winner, Koscielny started the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku in May but ended up on the losing side on the night. However, despite his advancing years, recurrent injury problems and just one year left on his contract, the Gunners have set a price tag of £10.6m for their experienced defender.
The report claims that Borussia Dortmund are keen on striking a deal for Koscielny, who is seeking a new challenge. The Bundesliga club can offer the former France international Champions League football next season and he is tempted by the move to Germany.
As Arsenal are planning to offload Koscielny, Unai Emery needs to replace his skipper with a young, talented centre-half. The Gunners were defensively all over the place last season and with Koscielny nearing the end of his time at the Emirates, Emery has some big decisions to make over the summer.
That being said, here are two replacements for Koscielny Arsenal should consider this summer.
1. William Saliba (Saint-Etienne)
Saint-Etienne’s promising defender William Saliba is already on the radar of Arsenal, as per the Daily Mirror.
Saliba, 18, made 16 appearances for Saint-Etienne in his breakthrough season, helping Jean-Louis Gasset’s side to a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1. He is tall, strong, athletic and good on the ball. The young Frenchman reads the game very well and his positional awareness belie his age.
At the age of just 18, moving from Saint-Etienne to Arsenal would be a big step up for Saliba but given his displays in Ligue 1 this past season, he clearly has the ability to make it big at the Emirates.
2. Mario Hermoso (Espanyol)
Just like Saliba, Espanyol’s Mario Hermoso is also linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, according to the Express.
Hermoso, 23, has had a solid campaign for Espanyol and was even called up to the Spanish national team after his performances in recent times. A technically-gifted player, the Spaniard is extremely composed on the ball and can initiate attacks from the back. He is strong physically and doesn’t mind duels with centre-forwards.
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Good at reading the game, the 23-year-old is also a goal threat having scored three goals for Espanyol last season. Hermoso has a €40m release clause and Emery should just trigger it to add this solid defender to his ranks.
