Ben Guest
Arsenal have agreed a fee for wantaway club captain, Laurent Koscielny.
The French centre-back stunned Arsenal fans last month when the club announced that he had refused to travel to the USA for the clubs pre-season tour as he hoped to force a summer transfer.
Now, according to the ever-reliable BBC journalist David Ornstein, Arsenal have now agreed a fee with the Ligue 1 side worth up to €5m (£4.6m), with the 33-year-old keen on a return to his homeland.
Fellow French clubs Rennes and Lille have also shown an interest in the defender, but Ornstein reports that Koscielny is already having a medical with Bordeaux as move edges closer.
Fee agreed between Arsenal & Bordeaux for Laurent Koscielny is up to €5m max. Medical as we speak, contract needs finalising. #AFC hope to sign a centre-back + retain Kieran Tierney interest despite injury. Carl Jenkinson to Nottingham Forest talks advanced #FCGB #CelticFC #NFFC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 6, 2019
With Koscielny seemingly close to the Emirates exit door, and Shkodran Mustafi an accident waiting to happen, Arsenal are understandably desperate to add a new centre-back to their ranks before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Reports in Germany on Monday claimed that they had seen a €60m (£55m) bid for Dayot Upamecano rejected by RB Leipzig.
The Gunners are also keen on signing Kieran Tierney from Celtic, although have yet been able to broker a deal with the Scottish champions, who have been unhappy with the proposed structure of the payments, despite Arsenal having agreed to pay the £25m asking price.
The North London club are also thought to be in ‘advanced’ talks with Nottingham Forest regarding the departure of Carl Jenkinson.
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