Arsenal Set Price Tag as Dortmund Eye Veteran Defender Laurent Koscielny

Borussia Dortmund are ready to step up their interest in Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, as the Gunners set a price tag of £10.6m for their club captain.

Talks over a new contract for the 33-year-old have stalled and, with only 12 months remaining on his current contract, Koscielny is seeking a fresh challenge, according to as a report from The Mirror.


Dortmund offer the excitement of a new league and Champions League football for Koscielny, who has struggled for fitness and form in his last two seasons at Arsenal

Laurent Koscielny

Dortmund's regular centre-back options are Dan-Axel Zagadou, Abdou Diallo and Manuel Akanji. At ages 20, 23 and 23 respectively, the trio are talented but lack the experience of a player like Koscielny, with the Frenchman able to provide leadership not only to the backline but to the dressing room also.

Koscielny signed to Arsenal from Lorient in 2010 for a fee of around £8m, making 255 Premier League appearances to date. Arsenal therefore have the opportunity to make a profit on a 33-year-old they signed at only 24, an astute piece of business - at least on paper.

A two-time FA Cup winner, Koscielny was made club captain in 2018 following the retirement of Per Mertesacker, while he has also been capped 51 times by the French national team.

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The Mirror's report adds that Arsenal are looking at Saint-Etienne's 18-year-old defender William Saliba as a potential replacement. The French centre back made 15 Ligue 1 appearances last season, impressing a number of clubs including ​Manchester United


Arsenal's other potential targets as listed by the report include Dayot Upamecano of RB Leipzig and Joachim Andersen of Sampdoria. However, widespread reports of a small transfer budget at Unai Emery's disposal may put all of those players out of reach.


Source : 90min