According to Sky Germany, FC Schalke are interested in re-signing Sead Kolasinac. The Bundesliga club are keen on securing a loan deal for the Arsenal star as they look to strengthen their defensive unit following a disappointing 2019/20 campaign. Kolasinac himself is desperate to return to Germany following a dismal spell in north London.
However, Schalke are facing financial difficulties in sanctioning the loan deal. Although the Royal Blues are willing to divide the salary as is the tradition, they need Kolasinac to settle for a pay cut as the club cannot afford to go higher than their €2.5 million per annum salary limit, which falls €1.5 million short of the €8 million per year he currently earns at Arsenal.
Sead Kolasinac: Falling from grace at Arsenal?
Kolasinac’s injury problems in England have been well documented, with the player often struggling with fitness issues that have plagued his career in the Premier League. However, such problems have also affected his performances, it seems, with the left-back enduring a dreadful 2019/20 campaign.
In fact, Kolasinac was arguably Arsenal’s worst performer since the restart as he clearly failed to cope with the new central defensive role assigned to him by Mikel Arteta. Even at left-back, the Bosnian simply wasn’t up to the task.
From a tactical perspective, Kolasinac’s relatively slow nature in terms of ball rotation has already left him behind the likes of Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka in the pecking order. As Arteta continues to impose his tactical philosophy at Emirates, the 27-year-old is likely to be singled out, almost in the same manner as Sokratis and Mesut Ozil.
Why Arteta Must Offload Kolasinac?
Sanctioning the sale of Kolasinac could be the first step in Arsenal’s potential overhaul this summer. The Gunners are yet to get rid of any fringe players so far, which means signing new players could be challenging as they need to maintain a proper financial structure at the club.
Even from a tactical sense, the Bosnian has no future at Emirates. As mentioned earlier, he has already found it difficult to compete with Tierney and Saka in the left wing-back role, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles also pushing for a breakthrough in the upcoming campaign.
As a matter of fact, the best possible scenario for Arsenal at the moment is the permanent departure of Kolasinac. It is mainly because of the fact that the club would still need to pay €4 million a year even if Schalke agree to split the wage bill without the player having to compensate on his expensive wages.
A permanent sale, therefore, will not only create the space for a new arrival but will also boost the club’s financial structure.
