Sead Kolasinac bidding farewell to Schalke fans during their final match of the season has confirmed that the defender is just inches away from making the switch to Arsenal.
The 23-year-old, whose contract with the Bundesliga club expires this summer, was banned for the club’s final game of the season against Ingolstadt, but was spotted sitting among the fans, fully kitted in
Schalke colors as he appeared to have bid them farewell.
#Schalke – sein letztes Spiel im Trikot des #S04 verbringt Sead #Kolasinac mit den Fans (er ist gesperrt)#SSNHD pic.twitter.com/NeYN67kXcI
— Dirk g. Schlarmann (@Sky_Dirk) May 20, 2017
Though Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been coy on the deal, Arsenal appeared to have moved ahead of their competitors Man City and AC Milan as Kolasinac is reported to have agreed to a five-year contract in the region of £120,000 per week to move to the Emirates and will team up with his new club in July.
Wenger said: “I’m looking forward to working with myself” when questioned about the prospect of working with the defender.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international arrival is expected to be along-term replacement for Nacho Monreal and also to bring sanity to the Gunners defence that has embarrassingly shipped in goals this
season.
Kolasinac has spent six spent at Schalke having joined them from Stuttgart in 2011 and has made 123 appearances for them.
The left-back is a versatile defender who can also play as a centre-back as well as a defensive midfielder.
The move will be a welcome development for the Gunners who endured a difficult season after missing out on the Champions League for the first time in 21 years.