Arsenal will reportedly start their summer spending spree with a move for Schalke 04 left-back Sead Kolasinac, who is out-of-contract at the end of the season.
The Bosnian footballer has received multiple offers from several English clubs including Chelsea and Liverpool, but the Gunners will seek to push through a deal ahead of their league rivals, Goal.com reports.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has received stick for his side’s lack of ambition in recent weeks, and this has put more pressure on the Frenchman to quit on the expiry of his contract in the summer.
However, it is understood that the long-standing manager will ink a fresh two-year deal in due course with an announcement likely to be made once the club resolve their league form, and hopefully qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Gunners’ left-back deputy Kieran Gibbs is approaching the final year of his Emirates contract, and there is a sense that he could be sold out in order to bring Kolasinac into the mix.
Kolasinac, who mainly features on the left side of the backline, also has the potential to occupy the central defence or holding midfield position, and this has encouraged Wenger to step up the club’s pursuit ahead of what could be a busy transfer window.
The Schalke 04 ace currently averages more than 2 tackles/interceptions per game in the Bundesliga, and he could be seen as the perfect competitor to Nacho Monreal, whose stay in north London could be limited to a couple more seasons.
Meanwhile, the Gunners’ hierarchy are expected to show their commitment towards the manager by offering him with a £200m kitty to spend on the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Ross Barkley, Kieran Tierney among others in the summer transfer window.
Arsenal are positioned sixth in the Premier League standings with 54 points, seven adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City, who hold the final Champions League position with just eight games to play.
