Contracted to Arsenal until 2020, Laurent Koscielny could still end up leaving the Emirates this season, with many stories suggesting his agent is trying to find him a way out from the London club.
Inter were said to have turned down the chance to sign the 33-year-old, but there is a club who could be willing to welcome the former France international with open arms: Bordeaux.
The news comes from Italy, which might seem a bit strange, but it’s worth remembering that Paulo Sousa, the Ligue 1 side’s latest manager, spent two years with Fiorentina between 2015-17, so contacts may have been established during that period with local media.
Either way, TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Gianluigi Longari reported on Monday evening that Bordeaux ‘like’ the idea of bringing in Laurent Koscielny, who could be on the lookout for guaranteed game time next season.
The centre-back has spent almost all of his professional career with Arsenal, playing five seasons in France as a full-time player before heading across the Channel to London.
Despite this, he managed a full campaign in Ligue 1 with Lorient before his transfer, meaning acclimatising to the league shouldn’t be an issue.
Plus, it’s in France, his home country, so that helps too.
A lot will likely depend on how veteran defender feels, as going to Bordeaux would deprive him of European football and would certainly be seen as a step down, one perhaps announcing the beginning of the end of his career.
Either way, we’ll be keeping an eye on these stories as the idea of Koscielny leaving Arsenal this summer appears to be spreading around the continent.
