Why Arsenal must not offload Sead Kolasinac anytime soon

Serie A sides Napoli and Roma are interested in signing Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac next month, according to the Sun.

Kolasinac joined Arsenal in 2017 on a free transfer from Schalke and made an impression with his aggressive style of defending. But the Bosnia and Herzegovina international has been in and out of the Arsenal team during his time at the Emirates. And with two-and-a-half years on his current deal, it remains to be seen as to what the future holds.

Kolasinac is currently out until January with an ankle injury but he must be made available for a transfer if a good offer is on the table. New manager Mikel Arteta needs funds to improve his squad in the upcoming transfer window and should consider letting Kolasinac go. It is no secret that Arsenal are in desperate need of strengthening their defence and things are just getting worse.

Newly appointed manager Mikel Arteta will be without left-back Kieran Tierney for around three months after surgery on his dislocated shoulder.

Kolasinac has been at the club since the summer of 2017 and has a contract running until 2022. Having just turned 26 in June, he is capable of providing depth for years to come. But if he were to go, he could bring in a hefty fee.

Going forward, he is a powerful and unstoppable force for defenders to deal with. He constantly fires in crosses and has been effective when at the top of his game. But his defensive qualities consistently expose the left side of the defence.

His forward movement leaves space in behind and he is rarely able to recover his position as a result. While his style of play fits a back-five perfectly, he struggles in any other formation.

The upside to Kolasinac staying is that he is still young with plenty of football left in his legs. He would offer Arteta tactical flexibility and could also play in a higher position, serving more as a left-sided winger than a defender.

Verdict

Kolasinac has struggled this season and has been found wanting on a few occasions. Arsenal signed Tierney last summer but he has been plagued by injuries. A dislocated shoulder has ruled the left-back out for three months. The options are very slim for Arteta and it will be a blunder if they sell Kolasinac.