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Opinion: It’s time for Arsenal to wave goodbye to their £75,000-a-week veteran amidst Ligue 1 interest

Arsenal opinion: The Gunners should sell Koscielny amidst Lyon interest

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal star Laurent Koscielny has attracted a lot of interest from France. The 33-year-old has had a very impressive comeback from what could have been a career-ending injury and finished the season well.

That combined with his past in the Ligue 1 has seen Olympique Lyon take a keen interest. It’s what Arsenal need right now and given that Koscielny has just one year left on his £75,000-a-week contract, it’s high time Arsenal start being ruthless.

The Gunners have been held hostage in the past when it comes to letting players go for nothing. Selling players has never been their forte, but at least they managed to earn some money from the moves.

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Now, even that isn’t taking place, with the club losing the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina, Lucas Perez, Chuba Akpom and even Kieran Gibbs for small sums. It’s one of the areas where the club needs to change things and it’s why they need to start this summer window by being absolutely ruthless.

While that might seem a little harsh, starting that way with Laurent Koscielny is the perfect way to move forward. The 33-year-old is arguably one of the best defenders at Arsenal and has been a picture of consistency since he arrived.

Yet another one of Arsene Wenger’s bargain deals, the Frenchman arrived in the summer of 2010. Since then, he has gone on to make a sensational impact. His defensive acumen, speed and tactical awareness in his prime was a masterpiece at work but now age has caught up with him.

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Sure, what he lost in speed and agility thanks to the various injuries, Koscielny has made up for with experience but Arsenal need to replace him. And to do that they need money, which is what they do not have right now or at least not a lot of it. It’s why letting Laurent Koscielny go will be a very hard move.

At the same time, the Frenchman should net them a pretty penny despite having just one year left. It may be considered a very harsh move for a club legend but it’s just what Arsenal have to start doing.

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Conclusion

Laurent Koscielny was once amongst the best in the Premier League at Arsenal but that time is long over.

While the Frenchman may still be able to play incredible top-flight football, at the age of 33, consistency goes out the window. But now given the project that Unai Emery has embarked on, consistency has to be key.