Arsenal and Laurent Koscielny: What else do we need to know?

Laurent Koscielny has been a staple at Arsenal over the past half decade, but for want of details, this kerfuffle does not look good… on his part.

The ongoing situation between Arsenal and Laurent Koscielny isn’t getting any better. After the captain refused to travel with the team to America, he was cast in a bad light. Naturally, seeing as how he is the captain of the club and he is blatantly refusing to go anywhere with the team.

But it’s getting worse now, with rumors of Koscielny trying to buy out his own contract, as well as negotiating and agreeing to the ever-ambiguous “personal terms” with Rennes, despite a sale not being in place.

Not long ago, Olivier Giroud came out and said that he reckons we don’t know all the details, seemingly imploring fans to withhold their judgment of the centerback until everything comes to light. Which is a worthy stance, but one that, in this case, I don’t think is deserved.

It was a shock when Koscielny first didn’t get on the plane. There was no hint that anything was wrong, and no indication that things had soured.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 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
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

That would have been the right time to say something. To clear the air. Especially knowing what we do about all those outlets out there that are going to take this story for a run and make it look as bad as they possibly can.

But the fact is, they don’t have to try hard at all to make it look bad. The captain of the club, still under contract, refused to go on a preseason tour and then negotiated with another team without a deal in place? Maybe there is some fault on the team’s side to make this okay, but for the life of me, I’m having a hard time deducing what that fault might be.

And Giroud’s pleas of waiting until we know all the facts is fine and all, but Koscielny, the leader of this team, has said and done nothing except blatantly disobey this entire summer. You’d think that, even at the risk of introducing a bit more conflict, he’d have said something, anything, in his own defense.

By not doing so, it makes it seem like there really isn’t any more here than what it looks like. Koscielny “doesn’t like” where Unai Emery is taking the club (after one whole year) and has pitched a fit and demand to leave because of it. Gross.