Laurent Koscielny agrees to new deal

Arsenal have announced that ever-present centerback Laurent Koscielny has re-committed to Arsenal by signing a new contract with improved terms, replacing the one he signed just two years ago. This should (hopefully) put off a number of other top clubs, including Barcelona and Manchester United, who had been sniffing around with interest in buying him away.

Koscielny signed for Arsenal in 2010, and while most fans had no idea who the hell he was at the time, the Frenchman has blossomed into a fan favorite relatively quickly. He's grown into one of the better defenders in Europe, and his partnership with Per Mertesacker is arguably the most trustworthy Arsenal has had since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure marshalled the Invincibles' back line. With Mertesacker having already re-upped this year, this was a natural move.

According to Matt Law, Koscielny's old deal was around £50,000/week - well short of Mertesacker's new £90,000/week deal, and behind Thomas Vermaelen's £70,000/week. It was speculated before that Koscielny would be offered wages equal to Mertesacker's, which seems exceedingly fair to me. It appears he agreed.

With Bacary Sagna likely on the way out, it's crucial to maintain as much stability as possible in what has been a good defensive unit this year (for the most part). This is a very positive step to ensure that.