Arsenal’s second signing this summer saw Arsene Wenger returning to his native country, plundering the lower half of Ligue 1 to pick up Laurient centre-half Laurent Koscielny in a long-term deal reportedly worth £10m.
This pre-season has incredibly seen four centre-halves pass through the Emirates exit door, with Mikael Silvestre, Phillipe Senderos, William Gallas and Sol Campbell all moving on, leaving a substantial gap in Wenger’s squad. Besides Koscielny, Arsenal have just two other recognised players in the position at present -Thomas Vermaelen and Johan Djourou- though the likes of Alex Song can more than adequately fill in, should needs be.
In spite of the outlay on the new boy, there would be no real surprise to see another centre-half arrive before pre-season is through. Recent reports have seen the Stuttgart centre-half Serdar Tasci and Everton’s Phil Jagielka also linked with a move to the Emirates this summer.
For now at least Koscielny looks to be the favourite to partner Vermaelen in the heart of the Gunners defence. At 6 foot 1, Koscielny is hardly the no-nonsense type, but in that sense, is a typical Wenger signing. Comfortable with the ball, he’s previously played in midfield, and his new boss was full of praise as the signing was completed…
”Koscielny is a central defender with great ability who performed extremely well last season for Lorient. We identified him as a very strong centre half, who has made big progress very quickly. He has shown he is mentally strong, he’s a fighter and a very strong competitor. Koscielny is a great addition to our squad.”
The Statistics
Opinion…
Andy
“Arsene Wenger signs an unknown French player for an eight figure sum? Well, I never.
All cynicism aside, with the lack of other options in centre-back he may prove to be a reasonable purchase now that Song has rightfully, and frustratingly, been classified a midfielder.
£6m isn‘t too sharp a price, and Arsenal do have a nice opening run, home games in particular. If they replace Almunia, I may just well be sold.”
Despite being 24 years old, Koscielny has had just the one season in top-level football, and to some extent, the transfer is something of a leap of faith for Wenger.
The defender’s formative years in first-team football were spent in France’s Ligue 2, where he first played for Guingamp -making 40 appearances- before he moved on to Tours. He lined up in midfield on several occasions, grabbing 6 goals in his 67 appearances and impressing enough to be named Ligue 2 Player of the Year in 2008-09. That prompted Lorient to snap him up last season for £1.5m. Bagging 3 goals in 35 league games, he may not be as prolific as Vermaelen, but the new boy’s eye for goal suggests he could net one or two if he can cement his starting role.
The Prospects
Arsene Wenger’s financial prudence is notorious, and whilst a £10m fee certainly would suggest Koscielny hasn’t come to bench-warm, the above-mentioned rumours perhaps cast doubts over him as a nailed-on first-choice; Jagielka, in particular, would be perfect for the Gunners. However if he does indeed prove to be Gallas’ replacement, Koscielny can take heart in the debut season enjoyed by Vermaelen, although his 7 goals and subsequent 138 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points disguises the fact that Wenger’s defence claimed just 14 clean sheets last term.
Arsenal have been crying out for a top-class goalkeeper for years now, and if they can replace the inconsistent Manuel Almunia with the experience and reliability of the likes of Mark Schwarzer, they could add not just the odd clean sheet or two, but improve on a record that ultimately saw them concede 41 goals last season.
Koscielny appears to have settled well and has been making all the right noises about the move, saying:
“I’m very excited to be joining Arsenal. They are one of the biggest teams in Europe with many great players. I’m really looking forward to playing in the English Premier League and the Champions League with my new club. Also, in Arsene Wenger, Arsenal has one of the best managers in the world and I can’t wait to work with him and do my best for the Arsenal supporters.”
However, in discussing his lack of top-level experience, he also showed a level of honesty and frankness rarely associated with young footballers…
“Everything is going so fast. I don’t have the experience, clearly, but you can’t refuse Arsenal. It could be the last opportunity in my life. I’ll have to work like a dog to be at the right level physically, but I’m not that scared about the big gap it represents. I came here to improve myself and win titles.”
The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has priced him at £6.0m which is cheap in comparison to Vermaelen but Koscielny will need to emulate his teammate and grab a handful of goals if he’s to resemble value for money. There are many proven points-grabbing defensive options available to Fantasy Managers under that price including the aforementioned Jagielka, Tottenham’s Michael Dawson and Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross – all proven Premier League performers.
Further Reference