Arsenal, Sead Kolasinac (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta is supposedly planning his first Arsenal overhaul and while it’s underwhelming, it includes Sead Kolasinac. Here are three reasons it shouldn’t.
Headlines these days are talking about an “overhaul” that Mikel Arteta is planning at Arsenal. Of course, overhaul is a big word, so you might have been expecting something monumental, as I was, but in fact, it’s rather timid. Except for the inclusion of Sead Kolasinac.
It’s a five-person overhaul, with the other four names being Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis, Mohammed Elneny and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Yeah, like I said, underwhelming. Overhaul means big-time changes, not selling dead weight.
But Sead Kolasinac is far from dead weight, and I’m less than enthused that he’s being lumped in with these other guys. In fact, I’m so unenthused by it that I’ve concocted this list of three reasons why Kolasinac should not be a part of this, or any, overhaul. Even any sort of actual overhaul.
Anyway, let’s get into those three reasons, starting with No. 3.
3. You can’t put a value on grit
Well, I guess you can. But that value makes Kolasinac well worth keeping all on its own. His grittiness and determination were so welcome at the Emirates when he first arrived that it felt like a seismic shift. Gone were the days of the Gunners playing soft, not having anyone capable of holding their own in a fight.
In were the days of the Bosnian Hulk, Bosnian Tank, Bosnian Bulldozer, whatever you wanted to call him, there was a GIF on Twitter for it.
We still need that grit. Just ask Mesut Ozil (sorry, had to get that in there). Kolasinac is a trooper, he’s a fighter, and he’s the kind of guy you want on your side in tough matches because I’ll bet any amount of money that he’s tougher than the other guy.
Other than him, we don’t have much of it. Granit Xhaka has a decent amount. So does David Luiz. But Kolasinac is the king of the gritty. And I don’t want to go back to being pawns again.
Next up, No. 2.
Arsenal. Of course, overhaul is a big word, so you might have been expecting something monumental, as I was, but in fact, it’s rather timid. Except for the inclusion of <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/3935e52e/Sead-Kolasinac?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sead Kolasinac</a>.</p>
<p>It’s a five-person overhaul, with the other four names being <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/3f2d59fe/Shkodran-Mustafi?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Shkodran Mustafi</a>, Sokratis, Mohammed Elneny and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/dd0daf32/Henrikh-Mkhitaryan?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Henrikh Mkhitaryan</a>. Yeah, like I said, underwhelming. Overhaul means big-time changes, not selling dead weight.</p>
<p>But Sead Kolasinac is far from dead weight, and I’m less than enthused that he’s being lumped in with these other guys. In fact, I’m so unenthused by it that I’ve concocted this list of three reasons why Kolasinac should not be a part of this, or any, overhaul. Even any sort of <em>actua</em><em>l</em> overhaul.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="light" data-text="5 Reasons Xhaka Is Still The Future" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/23/arsenal-5-granit-xhaka-future/" data-call-to-action="Related Story"> <div class="story-link-related"> <a class="story-link-related-btn" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-related-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/23/arsenal-5-granit-xhaka-future/"> <span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> 5 Reasons Xhaka Is Still The Future </a> </div>
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<p>Anyway, let’s get into those three reasons, starting with No. 3.</p>
<h3>3. You can’t put a value on grit</h3>
<p>Well, I guess you can. But that value makes Kolasinac well worth keeping all on its own. His grittiness and determination were so welcome at the Emirates when he first arrived that it felt like a seismic shift. Gone were the days of the Gunners playing soft, not having anyone capable of holding their own in a fight.</p>
<p>In were the days of the Bosnian Hulk, Bosnian Tank, Bosnian Bulldozer, whatever you wanted to call him, there was a GIF on Twitter for it.</p>
<p>We still need that grit. Just ask <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/16380240/Mesut-Ozil?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mesut Ozil</a> (sorry, had to get that in there). Kolasinac is a trooper, he’s a fighter, and he’s the kind of guy you want on your side in tough matches because I’ll bet any amount of money that he’s tougher than the other guy.</p>
<p>Other than him, we don’t have much of it. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/e61b8aee/Granit-Xhaka?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Granit Xhaka</a> has a decent amount. So does <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/c0e27d1a/David-Luiz?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">David Luiz</a>. But Kolasinac is the king of the gritty. And I don’t want to go back to being pawns again.</p>
<p>Next up, No. 2.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Face it </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-95952" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2269,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1191234452.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Sead Kolasinac" width="3200" height="2269" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1191234452.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1191234452-768x545.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. He’s just really good</h3>
<p>I have a sneaking suspicion that if we were to sell Sead Kolasinac, I would be underwhelmed by the price. The problem that Kolasinac has had this year is staying healthy. Same problem as last year. That’s why his stats don’t reflect as impressively as his play has actually been.</p>
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<p>That said, when healthy, Kolasinac is a top-quality talent. He was ticketed to be player of the season last year before another injury got in the way, and then he just fell off the radar. Simply because he wasn’t playing.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that we should be relying on the guy to change the fate of the club. He’s too injury-prone for that. But what have we learned this year? We’ve learned that you can never have too many fullbacks. Because they are literally all hurt right now. We need at least two fullbacks on each side, maybe with a swing option as well. Are we really prepared to spend money on another leftback because we decided to sell Kolasinac?</p>
<p>Speaking of which, reason No. 1 is the only reason I need to make the case that Kolasinac shouldn’t be sold, so let’s jump right over to that reason now.</p>
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<h3>1. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/bc7dc64d/Bukayo-Saka?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bukayo Saka</a> isn’t a leftback</h3>
<p>The only possible argument I can fathom for selling Kolasinac is that he is, in fact, too injury prone, which doesn’t pair well with <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/fce2302c/Kieran-Tierney?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kieran Tierney</a>, who’s been hurt all year. But Tierney is not an injury-prone player, and I have a sneaking suspicion that if Kolasinac’s appearances can be limited thanks to Tierney lightening the load, everyone will stay healthier.</p>
<p>The point is, if we sell Kolasinac, we shouldn’t be buying another leftback. Money is precious these days, and I’d hate to spend any of it on a position that we already have covered. Maybe <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/03/24/arsenal-3-dont-sell-sead-kolasinac/"https://fbref.com/en/players/839c14e1/Cedric-Soares?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cedric Soares</a> can be the swingman, but he’s naturally a rightback, and I wouldn’t want to deviate from that unless absolutely necessary.</p>
<p>More than anything though, I don’t want to count on Bukayo Saka to be a leftback. As of yet, we have no reason to believe that he is suddenly okay with changing his role to that of leftback, and as he still has eyes on being a winger, I would hate to see him get lost as yet another young star to be disenchanted by playing out of position.</p>
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<p>Maybe things are changing and we just haven’t heard anything, but until we can say for certain that Saka is happy at leftback, I can’t endorse relying on him to even fill in at the position if an alternative exists. Sead Kolasinac is that alternative.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
