Marseille are considering making a move to sign Sead Kolasinac, with the outcast defender set to leave Arsenal during the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mail.
Mikel Arteta is trimming his ranks at the Emirates Stadium now that the winter sales have started. The Gunners are actively looking to offload those who have been on the fringes or outside of the Spaniard’s plans.
Kolasinac has been firmly outside those Arteta trusts to guide Arsenal back into European contention. The Bosnian has only featured four times so far this season, with two outings and one start coming in the Premier League.
The left-back also last featured in the top-flight as a stoppage-time substitute in the north Londoners’ win at Leicester City. He replaced Emile Smith Rowe at the King Power Stadium on October 30 to help see out the 2-0 result.
Arteta has not named Kolasinac in any of his subsequent matchday squads partly due to an ankle injury. He sustained the significant issue while on international duty in November but is expected to return to fitness this month.
Yet the Leicester affair may have been Kolasinac’s 117th and last Arsenal appearance, with Marseille now considering eying a mid-season transfer.
Marseille considering January transfer for exit-bound Arsenal outcast Kolasinac
Arsenal want to sell Kolasinac in the mid-season transfer market as he is out of contract in June. He signed a £100k-a-week, five-year contract with the Gunners after joining for free from Schalke under Arsene Wenger. He left the German side in 2017 after his deal expired.
Marseille are now considering holding talks with Arsenal over a mid-season transfer for Kolasinac. Additionally, the Watford Observer reported last month that Watford held initial talks with the Gunners over a loan for the rest of the term.
The Hornets would struggle to match the Bosnian’s wage, however. So, Arsenal may look fondly if Marseille step up their interest in a transfer for Kolasinac. The north Londoners can also use OM’s challenge for Champions League qualification to strengthen their case.
Marseille sit third in Ligue 1 after 18 games, level on 33-points with second-place Nice who have played once more. But OM are only five-points clear of champions Lille in just eighth.
Champions League challenge can drive transfer talks
Kolasinac may help Jorge Sampaoli’s Marseille come out on top with a mid-season transfer, despite his outcast status at Arsenal. While he has failed to impress Arteta, he did impress Alexis Sanchez considerably while teammates with the Chilean.
“It’s tough [being against him in training] because he’s strong and he’s hard to get around,” Sanchez told Arsenal Player. “He’s a very experienced player and he’s really strong.
“When it matters, he finds me and makes good passes so I can score. He is an intelligent player who can create good goalscoring opportunities.”
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