Koscielny could be the first victim of our more strict policy regarding players over the age of 30. Tired of seeing assets run down their contract, our new recruitment team have promised to be more aggressive with those left with two years left on the deal.
It seems Arsenal are no longer willing to have prolonged negotiations and are going to be more direct in terms of giving take it or leave it offers.
Reports vary, with some suggesting our board don’t want to pay such a salary for a man who can not play 3 games a week while our captain is obviously not open to the idea of a pay drop.
This could be the latest example of Stan Kroenke trying to save money, but there have been some gooners who have expressed that their skipper is past his best.
With Ramsey and Cech leaving, we don’t have many leaders left in the dressing room, so can we afford to lose such an experienced defender?
While not consistent since his return in January, he’s still performed well in the big games and certainly is our best centreback.
If Arsenal are willing to let him leave, it increases the pressure on them to bring in a top level defender. It remains to be seen if this is to better the squad – or to reduce the wage bill?
Dan Smith