Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Laurent Koscielny from French League 1 side Lorient for an undisclosed fee.
Twenty-four year old Koscielny made 40 appearances for Lorient last season, but has yet to make his debut for the French national team. The fee is believed to be somewhere in the region of £8.5m.
Arsene Wenger said on Arsenal.com, “Koscielny is a central defender with great ability who performed extremely well last season for Lorient.
“We identified him as a very strong centre half, who has made big progress very quickly. He has shown he is mentally strong, he’s a fighter and a very strong competitor. Koscielny is a great addition to our squad.”
Koscielny himself said, “I’m very excited to be joining Arsenal. They are one of the biggest teams in Europe with many great players.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in the English Premier League and the Champions League with my new club. Also, in Arsène Wenger, Arsenal has one of the best managers in the world and I can’t wait to work with him and do my best for the Arsenal supporters.”
Koscielny will wear the number six jersey next season.
