Arsenal wouldn’t miss Laurent Koscielny that much if he moves to Barcelona

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on March 1, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 01: Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on March 1, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Don’t be fooled, Arsenal shouldn’t lose any sleep if they sell Laurent Koscielny to Barcelona.

Yesterday, it was reported that FC Barcelona is interested in signing Laurent Koscielny. We gave Barca’s point of view on the deal, but it’s also important to cover Arsenal’s stance. And as the Arsenal fan I am, could there be anyone more impartial?

All jokes aside, I don’t think Koscielny would be a HUGE miss. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Arsenal isn’t the most defensively able side in the world, but it’s not going to make a difference whether Koscielny stays or goes.

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That sounds weird, doesn’t it? Koscielny is the Arsenal captain, so of course, it would be a shame to see him go. But as the progress under Unai Emery continues, should we as fans really be losing sleep over losing a 33-year-old defender.

Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding aren’t TOO bad. Granted, Mustafi has produced a few mistakes this season, but how many of them have come in recent games? When Arsenal are in top form, Mustafi looks to be in top form. And as for Holding, well there’s a reason he’s compared to Cannavaro…

If Arsenal does lose out on Koscielny, then it’s only going to persuade the Gunners to sign a centre back. With the judgement of Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment, plus the video analysis from Unai Emery as head coach, the fans are in a pretty sweet position.

In case you didn’t know, Laurent Koscielny has been suffering from a problem to his Achilles over the last few seasons. It’s what kept him winning the World Cup with France. Arsenal isn’t the most notorious club for mending injury issues.

It would be great to see him rep the Barcelona jersey, especially if he wins La Liga. It’s what he deserves because he wears each jersey with pride. It won’t take long for him to become a fan favourite in Catalunya, and he will act as the ideal mentor for the flourishing Samuel Umtiti.

Arsenal fans won’t forget everything he’s done for the club should he leave. It was the Frenchman who gave the fans a glimmer of hope during the worst years. He made a flurry of average defenders appear to be pretty good, but it was all due to his leadership and his defensive resilience.

What has been your favourite Laurent Koscielny moment during his time with Arsenal?