Arsenal’s forgotten man returns to training as Gunners near first signing of the summer


Arsenal’s players have returned to London Colney after their summer break as they begin their preparations for the 2021/22 season.

The Gunners’ players underwent the usual pre-season tests before Mikel Arteta oversaw their first training session of the campaign.

The Spaniard has already spoken about how important he feels this warm-up period will be as his side look to get back among the European places after failing to qualify for continental competition for the first time in a quarter of a century last time out.

As is often the case, though, many of the players who returned for the first few days of pre-season are being linked with moves away from the Emirates this summer.


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Among those is Sead Kolasinac, who has returned to Arsenal after spending the second half of last season on loan with Schalke.

Despite some solid individual performances alongside the considerably more shaky Shkodran Mustafi at the back, the Bosnia international was unable to save his boyhood club from Bundesliga relegation.

Kolasinac was deemed as surplus to requirements in north London after starting just one Premier League game in the first half of last season, and there were some hopes that Schalke might be able to sign him permanently this summer.

The 28-year-old even went so far as to post a farewell message on his social media thanking the Gunners’ fans for his time at the club.

“I wish my team all the best for the next six months!” he said in a tweet.

“Thanks for everything! Stay strong, stay safe and stay healthy!”

But after Die Koenigsblauen’s demotion to the Bundesliga 2. they are in serious financial turmoil and cannot afford to buy the 28-year-old.

The summer window is officially open, and it’s going to be tough to keep up with the comings and goings in and out of the Emirates.

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This has created uncertainty over his future which has only been added to by the impending £6.9million signing of Nuno Tavares from Benfica.

The 21-year-old left-back travelled to London last week in order to complete his move to Arsenal and is expected to play understudy to Kieran Tierney next season, forcing Kolasinac even further down the pecking order.

football.london understands that the Bosnian defender has attracted interest from clubs in Italy and Turkey this summer and it is still expected that he will leave the Gunners as Arteta and Edu seek to oversee a ruthless squad overhaul at the Emirates.





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