14 Jun 2019 10:53:29
Thoughts on letting Laurent Koscielny go? Bild are reporting that he is a target for Dortmund who want an experienced CB. Usually they are quite reputable when it comes to transfer news. Let him go and raise funds for a replacement or keep him for his last year and as he may be crucial for league, FA and EL games?
14 Jun 2019 11:03:14
Absolutely love him, best defender we've had since moving to the Emirates, but you watch him these days and he can barely run, and we can't rely on him to play more than once a week. The article mooted a £10m fee, I'd say take the money and replace with someone younger. Umtiti would be the dream, but Saliba sounds like a good investment (and moving Kos on might convince his replacement he'll get a fair amount of minutes at least while Holding is recovering) .
Tl;dr Sad to see a legend go, but it would be the right time to move him on.
14 Jun 2019 16:52:33
Fantastic player for us one the few post invincibles players that could have realistically challenged for a place in that invincibles team.
We are short of dosh and 10 million is a fantastic offer at his age so we'd be fools to refuse it, plus it would draw a line under letting players run down their contracts and leave for nothing showing a more business like Arsenal than for a very very long time.
15 Jun 2019 08:29:18
Let him go - decent CB but let’s be honest, he’s positional sense has never been great and there’s always been a mistake in him. His injuries are too big much now and we need to thank him to move him on. However, he’s no Sol, Martin, Kolo or Tony. Simply not in that league and probably why his still on less than 90K and he’s stayed with us.
15 Jun 2019 10:44:57
Wow SY you really don't rate Kos do you mate :-)
I think he's head and shoulders above any other player we've signed in the last decade and he's never once tried to hold the club to ransom despite interst from Bayern and others, but it's all about opinions and we shall have to differ on this occasion mate :-)
15 Jun 2019 13:07:50
I like him but not in the league of the names I mention. I’ve always stuck up for him when discussing him with people who’ve played at a high level but it’s true there is always a silly tackle, clearance, lapse in him that’s stopped him reaching that level. For us he’s been great while we’ve been competing at the level we have but I never heard Chelsea after him when they bought CBs or City. He’s a tier down and now both pace is dropping and injuries kicking in. Like I say - I thank him as he’s done well for us but when I rattle off that list of great CBs to play for us in the Wenger years - he wouldn’t be in my top 5 for sure.
Probably came across a bit direct above 😉.
15 Jun 2019 16:52:01
I think he'd have pushed Kolo for a place in the invincibles team myself and for me it would be a tricky call between Kolo and Kos, as for mistakes big Tony Keowen Sol all made a few along the way but they played in better teams with better partners better co defenders and better midfields who weren't shy of putting it a shift defensively while Kos at his best never had an excellent partner or co defenders or any real kind of defensive midfield support, so often he seemed to be trying ti cover all our weaknesses single handedly whicb was obviously impossible to achieve but he never moaned or stopped trying or jumped ship when on a personal level no one could have blamed him if he had.
Kos was a lot lot better than the Arsenal teams he played in.
15 Jun 2019 17:31:37
Point taken - May be I was a bit tough on him. He’s been a loyal and very good player. Who I’ve cheered on and always hoped he would be fit. Hope he gets a great contract and enjoys his last few years of the beautiful game. Thanks for your best years Kos.
15 Jun 2019 19:58:46
Cheers SY mate, if he has a resale value it's time to say thank you and wish the very best of luck to Kos now and hope when his playing days are finally over he's not a strange to the Emirates vip seats.