According to the Mirror, Atletico Madrid would only sanction the departure of Jose Gimenez to Arsenal if they get Laurent Koscielny in return. Diego Simeone holds the Frenchman to high standards despite his poor defensive showing over the course of the current season.
Koscielny went as far as to even admit that the past week has been the worst of his entire career. This veteran centre-half is the club captain with over 300 appearances under his belt for the North London side. He was also the starting player at the backline for the France national team in the 2016 Euro Cup alongside Raphael Varane.
However, the current season is an entirely different picture with Arsenal holding the worst defensive record among the top-6 of the league. Koscielny’s age is starting to show over a loss of athletic ability and a decreased quality in terms of reading the game – a confusing occurrence since defenders are supposed to get better at the latter ability with more experience.
Koscielny’s centre-back partner, Shkodran Mustafi has been equally poor with both Calum Chambers and Rob Holding failing to meet the lofty standards of Premier League football as well. While some of the blame can be carried on Koscielny’s shoulders, the majority of it rests on Arsene Wenger himself.
The manager is undergoing a tumultuous period in his managerial career and a saving grace is required in the final stretch of the season. Winning the Europa League is the best and only way to mark a return to the Champions League now that the team is staged 8 points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the 6th spot of the points table.
With just 9 games left in the season, bridging that gap will a tough ordeal for the Gunners. While Wenger continues to fight for his position at the Emirates, the club should look deep into additions they can make in the summer.
A repeat of the 2017/18 season needs to be prevented and a centre-back signing is more than necessary. However, is Jose Gimenez the right candidate for the position?
The 23-year-old is a highly rated centre-half who has appeared in 27 games for Red and Whites this season.
He has been capped at international level as well 37 times and is expected to take the stage in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His composed presence along with an ability to read the game well is what sets him apart from the rest.
Getting the services of a young centre-back in exchange for an incompetent veteran is a dream move for Arsenal which they should not turn their backs to.
