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How could Arsenal line-up next season after signing Schalke’s defender Sead Kolasinac?
Arsenal announced their first signing of the summer this morning with the club’s detailing that 23-year-old left-back Sead Kolasinac will join the Gunners on a free transfer from Schalke.
The Bosnian defender’s contract at the German side runs out at this summer and Arsene Wenger has wasted no time in securing the signature of the versatile Kolasinac.
After signing a deal that will keep him at the Emirates until 2022, the young defender is poised to join up with the Arsenal squad for pre-season training when the summer window officially opens on July 1.
Where will Kolasinac fit into Wenger’s future plans?
After a mightily impressive campaign spent in the Bundesliga with Schalke, it perhaps comes as little surprise that one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs has quickly snapped up his services.
Despite his customary position on the left side of defence there’s an attacking flair and youthful exuberance about Kolasinac, always willing to join in on the overlap and offer something in attack.
Three goals and five assists for a defender is an impressive return for a season’s work, and this natural ability to contribute in the final third would have certainly been a big selling point for Wenger.
Add to this the 23 chances that he created in the German league – in a mid-table Schalke outfit – and it becomes clearer that the Arsenal boss sees him as a perfect fit for his experimental formation.
It’s not just his potency in attack that will lend him well to the Premier League either, as Kolasinac’s reputation for being physical and strong in the air leaves him well-equipped for English football.
With the statistics saying that he completed 52 of his 69 attempted tackles in the Bundesliga in the recent season it seems that a tough-tackling, no-nonsense approach will be taken at the Emirates.
Where will Kolasinac fit into Wenger’s future plans?
After coming through the youth ranks at Schalke and forcing his way into the first-team, Kolasinac has been known to be a versatile man after spells at left-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder.
Yet last season the German side began experimenting with a 3-5-2 formation and, since being deployed as a left-wing back regularly, the Bosnian hasn’t looked back with some excellent displays.
His evident ability as a wing-back would only have alerted Arsene Wenger more after the Gunners’ own switch to a 3-4-3 in the latter parts of the season and it could prove to be a match made in heaven.
Initially the 23-year-old is expected to give the improving Nacho Monreal competition for the left-sided role in defence, but it could turn into a case of how long until he nails down a regular starting berth.
With the Gunners looking to emulate rivals Manchester United and gain success through the Europa League next year, adding strength in depth across the pitch can only help the further they go.
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Obviously the above line-up doesn’t take into account other potential movement this summer – either incoming or outgoing – but it gives an indication as to where Kolasinac could fit in next season.
For a player that not many Arsenal supporters would have even heard of a few months back, this could turn into an astute and unknown signing that pays dividends for the Gunners in their battle for trophies.
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