Arsenal starting XI after Sead Kolasinac addition

Arsenal are set to sign Sead Kolasinac on July 1st when his current contract expires. How will his addition alter the starting XI if at all?

The wonders of the summer transfer window begin with dreaming about potential recruits. Who will the next Arsenal superstar be? What position will Arsene Wenger invest in? Will he invest at all? And then, when signings are revealed, the fun quickly turns to how that player will fit in the current squad.

Related Story: Arsenal: 3 more reasons to celebrate Sead Kolasinac transfer

Are they a fully-fledged starter from day one? If so, who is dropped to squeeze them in the line-up? Could it lead to a formation change? What players are affected by this signing and what does it tell us about the manager’s thinking?

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All of these questions and plenty more, I’m sure, are circling around your heads, as they are mine, given Monday night’s revelation. Per Sky sources, Arsenal are set to sign Sead Kolasinac, a man who has been heavily linked with a possible move to North London for some time, when his current contract with Schalke expires on July 1st. It will be a free transfer and, hopefully, shows the intentions of Wenger and the club to be aggressive in this summer’s window.

However, where will Kolasinac play? Will he start, and if he does, who will drop out as a result? Could it result in a shift in formation or does he fit the style already implemented? Well, I’m glad yo asked.

I expect Kolasinac to replace Nacho Monreal as the starting left-back for Arsenal from the moment he arrives at London Colney. He is a more athletic, pacier player than the Spaniard, and at just 23 years of age, has far greater potential that wily, old veteran.

But that does not mean that Monreal will be dropped from the starting lineup altogether. Given the recent success that Wenger has seen his side have with the newly-implemented 3-4-3 formation, there is a chance that he persists with it. If that is the case, then it is quite plausible to see Wenger shift Monreal inside, using him as a left-sided centre-half as he has done already.

If that were to happen, then it would probably be Rob Holding who drops out of the starting XI, with Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi composing the central defensive trio alongside Monreal. And while that would be a shame given the clear potential that Holding has shown in recent weeks, there would still be opportunities for him to gain precious first-team football thanks to a heavy dose of rotation in the domestic cups and European games.

Ultimately, where Kolasinac fits into the Arsenal line-up depends on what formation Wenger employs. If it is his more traditional and established 4-2-3-1, then he will directly replace Monreal at left-back. If it is the 3-4-3, then he will again replace Monreal at the wing-back role, with the latter likely stationed as a centre-half and Holding dropping to the bench.

Next: Arsenal: 3 players affected by Sead Kolasinac signing

Only Wenger knows what his plans are. We will have to just wait and see.