Sead Kolasinac linked with Bundesliga move: Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke interested

Arsenal are trying to sell or loan out Sead Kolasinac this transfer window. The left back has tumbled down the depth chart in North London under Mikel Arteta, and his £100K-per-week wages are far too high for a backup left back. Those same wages make selling him a bit of an issue — he doesn’t want to take a lower number (why would he) and potential buyers are put off. He’s been linked with Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen and according to Sky Germany, would like to return to Germany for family reasons.

Earlier in the window, he was linked primarily with Schalke, the club from whence he joined Arsenal on a free in 2017. The reports were that they balked at his wages / were more interested in a loan deal with shared salary. There was also some scuttlebutt about Kolasinac wanting the captain’s armband as part of the deal.

Enter Bayer Leverkusen. According to The Evening Standard and confirmed on Twitter, the interest is genuine and preliminary talks between the two clubs are underway. Reports have the potential fee around £9M.

[insert the same, tired, reused stuff about Arsenal rebuilding the roster and needing to sell to buy here]

You’re welcome, by the way, for not making you read the same paragraph that’s in literally every transfer piece, both on TSF and elsewhere, again.

I like Kolasinac. He’s fun to have at the club because of the Bosninan Hulk jokes. That said, his play isn’t at the level it needs to be for Arsenal’s ambitions. So long and thanks for all the fish.