Arsenal: Sead Kolasinac should set a goal to bury Ashley Cole

Arsenal has had few divorces more hostile than their divorce with Ashley Cole, so Sead Kolasinac should set a goal to bury the former No. 31.

Arsenal’s kit numbers have been revealed and snapping up the once-revered No. 31 shirt, who conveniently plays the exact same position as his predecessor, is Sead Kolasinac. Ashley Cole previously wore the shirt, but the Bosnian claiming it is a sign of positive intentions.

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Gooner’s, and every other fan base, are not quick to forgive. And few players are as unforgivable as Cole, who to this day slates the Gunners any chance he gets, laughing in their general direction and anointing himself superior to his former digs.

That said, Cole was a fantastic left back. He made quite the impact on the position, and it hasn’t been easy to fill the shoes that he left.

Seeing Sead Kolasinac snap up the No. 31 shirt filled me with joy. I can’t imagine that the “Bosnian Hulk” isn’t aware of the implications. He had to know that Cole also wore that number, and he would therefore have to know that Cole went from being a tried and true Gunner to a consistent figure on the Top 10 Most Wanted list (as in criminals, not transfer targets).

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I’m taking this as a statement of intent. We already know that Kolasinac is a determined, ambitious, hard-working fiend who will not stop until that final whistle. Seeing a challenge is just another invitation for him, and Cole presents a challenge for Kolasinac. Surely he wants to be remembered for his time on the pitch, as does every footballer, and the best way to do that is to excel so much that you become the best ever at your position at a top club.

Like Arsenal.

The way is paved for Kolasinac. He just turned 24 years old, meaning that he could feasibly put in a decade of footballing with the Gunners, if everything goes accordingly.

Cole spent seven years on the books at Arsenal, including a one-year loan to Crystal Palace in 2000. He amassed 156 appearances in that time and established himself as a premium fullback. He was a fantastic fullback and arguably the gold standard with which we compare all those that have followed him.

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The only way to break that is to have someone come along and top him. Which is what we need Kolasinac to do so we can fondly recall a new gold standard for Arsenal fullbacks