Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny could reportedly be the subject of interest from both Marseille and Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
The 31-year-old has been the lynchpin in the Gunners’ defence in recent seasons, but the lack of success in terms of trophies appears to have unsettled the centre-back, French source Telefoot, via The Sun claims.
As per the report, Marseille are planning to lure the defender back to the Ligue 1 and have already initiated talks with Koscielny with owner Frank McCourt prepared to oversee a major squad rebuild in the summer.
Les Phoceens have already lured the likes of Dimitri Payet and Patrice Evra to the Orange Vélodrome over the past year, and they are now willing to intensify their pursuit of Koscielny, who is among the top targets on their shortlist.
However, they could face potential competition from Manchester City, whose manager Pep Guardiola is keen to add an experienced face at the heart of the defence.
Nevertheless, it would come as a huge surprise if Koscielny does decide to leave the Emirates after he penned a fresh three-and-a-half year deal earlier in the year.
Koscielny has seen the club win the FA Cup in two of their last three campaigns, and he will have the opportunity of securing the famous old trophy once again when they take on Chelsea in the final next month.
The Gunners also hold a reasonable chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League despite their disappointing 2-0 loss to rivals Tottenham Hotspur – which sees them six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand.
Koscielny, who currently earns a weekly wage of around £100,000, has appeared in over 275 outings for Arsene Wenger’s side since signing up from Lorient in 2010.
