Sead Kolasinac’s potential move to Bayer Leverkusen still remains a possibility, with the Arsenal defender desperate to return to Germany.
According to Sky Sports, Bayer Leverkusen are still in the race to sign Sead Kolasinac. The Bundesliga giants are desperate to sign a new left-back and the Arsenal star continues to attract them, with the player himself keen on a switch to Bay Arena.
Kolasinac wasn’t included in the Arsenal squad that faced Sheffield United this afternoon. It is believed that the left-back is desperate to return to Germany for family reasons, following a difficult spell in England.
His potential departure from Emirates could serve as an interesting prospect for Arsenal as they continue their defensive overhaul under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners have already brought in the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Cedric and Pablo Mari this summer, with players like Kolasinac, Sokratis and William Saliba facing uncertain future at the club.
Kolasinac, in particular, has been one of the few players who has failed to improve under Arteta. He has found it difficult acclimatise himself into the Spaniard’s tactical setup that emphasises build-up from the back, with the Bosnian international, mostly playing as a left-sided centre-back.
Unfortunately, Kolasinac has fallen behind the likes of Kieran Tierney, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Gabriel Magalhaes in the pecking order, with Arsenal having no shortage of defensive depth. Hence, a move away from Emirates makes sense from the player’s perspective.
A return to Germany, in particular, serves as an interesting prospect for the left-back, who featured in 123 competitive matches for FC Schalke before moving to Arsenal in 2016. His experience in the Bundesliga should be useful at Bayer Leverkusen, who, as mentioned earlier, are looking for a left-back.
Die Werkself are currently running the risk of losing Wendell, which would leave Daley Sinkgraven as the only other reliable option at left-back. And that is where Kolasinac could into the fray.
The 27-year-old might be better fitted to Peter Bosz’s aggressive press, with less caution being put on defensive stability. More importantly, the player can have more freedom going forward rather than having to support the two centre-backs, ultimately allowing him to play a more natural game.
As for Arsenal, Kolasinac’s departure could serve as a slight financial boost and the club might be able to land one of their top midfield targets this summer should they also manage to offload the likes of Sokratis and Saliba on the deadline day.
