Sead Kolasinac has joined Marseille in a permanent transfer having had his contract with Arsenal terminated.
The left-back was on the periphery of Mikel Arteta’s squad and had featured just five times this season before picking up a serious ankle injury while on international duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina in November.
The 28-year-old had returned in a one-minute cameo in the FA Cup upset at Nottingham Forest, but that has proven to be the last of his 118 appearance for the Gunners.
The player and his club mutually agreed to terminate his contract six months early, and the defender has now signed for Ligue 1 side Marseille – penning an 18-month deal at Stade Velodrome.
Arteta had made it clear he wanted to trim his squad in January and he has been fairly ruthless so far this month. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Folarin Balogun have already departed on loan to Roma and Middlesbrough respectively, while Pablo Mari is set to join Udinese imminently.
In terms of incomings, Arsenal are desperate to sign a new striker with the futures of both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette uncertain as things stand.
Coveted Fiorentina hitman Dusan Vlahovic is the Gunners’ number one target for that position. However, as revealed by 90min this week, the Serbia international is in no rush to accept a transfer away from the Serie A side.
The Viola are open to selling him this month if they receive a fee around the €80m (£66m) mark.
Arsenal are currently in talks over the player and are ready to meet their financial demands, but Vlahovic is not convinced that a move to the Emirates is the right one for him.
Fiorentina are trying to push him to make the move and have been hugely vocal this week about the prospect of him departing.
This article was originally published on 90min as Sead Kolasinac joins Marseille after Arsenal contract terminated.
Source: www.90min.com