Barcelona Target Koscielny

Koscielny

Barcelona ‘target Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny for summer transfer’

Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny is a surprise transfer target for Barcelona, according to reports in France.
Barca are short of options at the back and had to use Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets as emergency defenders last season.

New boss Tito Vilanova has made a central defender his priority for the transfer window and was rumoured to be keen on Gunners star Thomas Vermaelen and AC Milan’s Thiago Silva, who is now on the verge of signing for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Catalan club, who have a limited budget following their big spending last summer, have apparently started to examine some other options.

Reports in the French press have claimed that one player they are seriously considering making a bid for is Koscielny.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will have to hope that any supposed interest from Barcelona will not derail contract talks with Laurent Koscielny as the centre back is currently in talks over an improved deal following the French defender’s efforts last term.

The former Lorient man had an up and down time of it in his first season at the Emirates Stadium but during the last campaign the 26 year old was one of Arsenal’s top performers. Koscielny formed a solid pairing with Thomas Vermaelen and the form he displayed helped to secure a spot in Laurent Blanc’s Euro 2012 squad.

The Gunners stand to lose skipper Robin Van Persie and are still to tie down winger Theo Walcott to a new deal and Arsene Wenger is set for a busy summer of negotiations to keep hold of the club’s top talents whilst trying to trim away the deadwood from his Arsenal squad whilst perhaps lining up another new signing or two to prove to the club’s supporters that they can indeed challenge for major honours.

Barcelona could well do with defensive reinforcements as Tito Vilanova’s squad is fairly threadbare in that department, especially when you factor in Gerard Pique’s injury concerns and Carles Puyol’s age.