Manchester City and Olympique Marseille are targeting Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny this summer, according to reports
According to Telefoot, both Olympique Marseille and Manchester City are interested in signing Laurent Koscileny from Arsenal, with the French side keen on signing players from the French national team.
The Ligue 1 side have reportedly been plotting a move for Koscielny’s Arsenal and France teammate Olivier Giroud and if Telefoot are to be believed, they will now attempt to bring the Arsenal defender back to his native country as well.
Koscielny has been at Arsenal since 2010, joining the Gunners for a fee reportedly worth £8.45 million from Lorient. Despite his initial struggles with the Gunners, the Frenchman has since grown into one of the best defenders in Europe and is Arsenal’s most reliable player.
Even though Koscielny has spent such a significant period of his career with Arsenal, the Frenchman has only two FA Cup and Community Shield trophies to show for it and at 31, he could be growing frustrated at Arsenal.
Manchester City have also been on the lookout for defensive reinforcements and Telefoot claim that the Sky Blues are interested in signing the defender, although it is very unlikely Arsenal will be willing to sell such a key player to a direct rival.
Pep Guardiola is a fan of ball-playing centre-backs and that is exactly what Koscielny is, but the Gunners will be under no pressure to sell the Frenchman given he only signed an extension to his contract earlier this year, tying him down to the club until 2020.
Koscielny is one of Arsenal’s most important players so even Marseille are likely to be turned down immediately, although the Frenchman himself could be thinking of a move back to his homeland considering he is now 31 years of age.
Arsenal will be reluctant to sell him even if it is to a foreign competitor, especially given Shkodran Mustafi’s struggles in the second half of the season and the fact that the Gunners do not have any other centre-backs with Koscielny’s experience except for Per Mertesacker, who has failed to make a single appearance for Arsenal this season.
Despite Telefoot’s claims, it is very difficult to see Koscielny leaving the club this summer and the Frenchman himself will likely feel that he has unfinished business at the club, especially with the way this season has gone for the Gunners.