Arsenal have confirmed in a official statement that Laurent Koscielny has refused to travel with the squad to the United States of America for their pre-season tour.
The club captain missed almost half of the 2018/19 season with an Achilles tendon tear which he had suffered in the 2018 Europa League semifinal against Atletico Madrid. Since his return to the pitch, he hasn’t been quite able to replicate the fine performances from before the injury, and Arsenal are now in need of a quality centre-back to lead their back line.
The 33-year-old Frenchman has been linked with a move away from the Emirates, with Borussia Dortmund and Bordeaux reportedly interested in his services. BBC journalist David Ornstein, usually very accurate when it comes to Arsenal, reported yesterday that the north London club are close to agreeing a deal for William Saliba of Saint-Etienne who would then go back to the Ligue 1 side on a season-long loan, and that they are still searching for another player in that position to step into the first team straight away.
Arsenal’s statement reads:
“Laurent Koscielny has refused to travel to the US for our pre-season tour.
“We are very disappointed by Laurent’s actions, which are against our clear instructions.
“We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time.”
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