Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with Schalke left-back Sead Kolasinac over a move in the summer transfer window
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Arsenal have opened talks with Sead Kolasinac over a move in the summer transfer window, once his contract runs out with Schalke 04 at the end of the season.
Kolasinac has come a long way since he joined Schalke as one of the most promising left-backs in Europe as an 18-year-old in 2012. And after initially playing for the club’s under-19 side, he has become a regular fixture in the first team picture, with his stock constantly being on the rise.
The Bosnian international is a quintessentially modern left-back, bombing up and down the left flank and often being a menace in the final third, apart from being a dependable defender. Numbers back that up too, with Kolasinac boasting a tally of 3 goals and 7 assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for Schalke.
However, despite having carved a regular place for himself with Die Konigsblauen, it is looking likely that the 23-year-old will leave the club on a Bosman move. That is because his contract with Schalke is set to run out at the end of the season, and he has already rejected the advances from the club over a renewal.
With Kolasinac being rated as one of the most exciting young left-backs in Europe, it goes without saying that he’s a player whose profile would interest several clubs. In fact, the likes of Juventus, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are all interested in signing him in the summer.
Chelsea even tried signing Kolasinac on deadline day in the winter transfer window before Schalke rejected the bid. However, Arsenal seem to have raced clear in the lead to sign the left-back, having opened talks with him over a Bosman move.
The North London club had met with Kolasinac’s representatives in January and have made contacts with them yet again in a bid to land him when the transfer window opens in June. Indeed, there is a rising need for the club to sign a left-back after all that has transpired this season.
Nacho Monreal, who has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent players in recent seasons, has experienced a dip in form this season. Additionally, backup left-back Kieran Gibbs hasn’t managed to make much of an impression, and he could leave the club at the end of the season.
Kolasinac is all of 23 right now, and he could prove to be a long term solution for Arsenal with his best years still ahead of him. It remains to be seen how things develop in the coming months and how other interested parties react to Arsenal’s move, but Kolasinac could set to be hot property in the summer.
