There appears to be yet another concern for Arsene Wenger, adding to the task of having to secure deals for transfer targets in the next two weeks.
Arsenal began the 2016/17 campaign on Sunday with only three new signings made as Rob Holding endured a difficult debut in a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool.
As a result, Arsene Wenger is being urged by fans to find a new striker as well as another centre-back after injuries to Danny Welbeck, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista.
However, the Gunners have also been alerted about the commitment of star players following uncertainties over Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
According to French channel SFR Sport, Laurent Koscielny has asked for more time to make a decision after being offered a new contract by the club in April.
The 30-year-old has only 12 months remaining on his current deal at Arsenal but he is yet to sign a renewal despite holding talks with the club recently.
The report claims that Koscielny, who has been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, is likely to remain with the Gunners but the player is seeking a slightly more lucrative and longer-term deal than the one which is set to expire.
One of Arsenal’s club policies is to not offer players over the age 30 long-term contracts; an issue which saw Bacary Sagna turn down a one-year extension in 2014 to join Manchester City instead.
EDITOR’S OPINION
Apart from Sagna, previous experiences with Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri are proof that it is important to extend a player’s contract as early as possible.
We cannot afford to keep losing our key players not just to any team but to our direct rivals in the Premier League. For whatever reason, we are often willing to overpay the average players in our squad but the more valuable ones often seem to run into contract disputes with the club.
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