Arsenal: Completed Sead Kolasinac Deal Ends Kieran Gibbs Hopes

Arsenal have reportedly completed a deal for Sead Kolasinac, all but ending the hopes that Kieran Gibbs could ever materialise as a fully fledged starter.

Arsene Wenger has always prided himself on the quality of his full-backs, especially on the left flank. When hired at Arsenal he inherited Nigel Winterburn, a hard-nosed, tough-tackling, battling defender; he developed both Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy, two pacy full-backs who were especially adept at bombing forward and supporting the side’s attacking play; he bought Nacho Monreal, a reliable and dependable starter.

Related Story: Arsenal: 30 Greatest Players In History

When Clichy was sold to Manchester City in the summer of 2011, it was hoped, eventually, that Kieran Gibbs would graduate into a fully fledged starter. The young English defender was touted as a future star. He boasted all of the physical gifts, the speed, the stamina and athletic ability, to excel at the top level, and had great maturity and assuredness in his play.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

However, thanks to a series of debilitating injuries that stented his development on a seemingly annual basis, it transpired that Wenger could no rely on him to regularly start. He was forced into the transfer market on a number of occasions, most recently, signing Monreal in the winter of 2013.

The Spaniard has been the entrenched starter in the past two seasons, enjoying a solid run of form last year. This season, though, that has been far from the case. Now the wrong side of 30, Monreal has struggled greatly against pacy wingers, especially in one-on-one situations and has failed to add to the side’s attacking play as he does in the past.

Wenger has once again been forced to act, this time, reportedly agreeing to a deal to sign Schalke left-back Sead Kolasinac. The 23-year-old defender has enjoyed the best season of his career for the German club, garnering the attention of many top clubs around Europe. He is a physically imposing player, with great power and stamina, and has contributed to eight goals throughout the year.

What is most significant is his age, however. This is not merely another stop-gap solution to a position that has been problematic in recent years. Kolasinac has the ability to be Arsenal’s starting left-back for the next decade. And that, for Gibbs, is a death knell to his starting hopes.

Next: Arsene Wenger's Best Starting XI

A summer exit for Gibbs has been rumoured for some time now and this is the latest development that suggests the departure to be more and more likely. It is always a shame to see injuries cripple a player’s career but that is precisely what has happened for Gibbs, and Kolasinac only confirms it.