Laurent Koscielny nears Arsenal exit as Ligue 1 club have bid accepted

Laurent Koscelny

Laurent Koscielny is set to join Bordeaux from Arsenal (opens in new tab), according to the Telegraph (opens in new tab).

The French defender has been granted his wish to return to France following a nine-year spell at the Emirates Stadium.

The former club captain caused controversy last month when he refused to travel to the United States for Arsenal's pre-season tour.

Koscielny hoped that his decision would put pressure on the club to sell him in the final year of his contract.

And the 33-year-old looks to have got his way as Bordeaux close in on a £4.6m deal.

Unai Emery tried to persuade Koscielny to stay put for another campaign, but the former Lorient man was determined to return to Ligue 1.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).