This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
Laurent Koscielny, the 33-year-old Arsenal defender, has gone on strike after a bitter row over a new contract, with the France international facing disciplinary action and being stripped of the captaincy.
According to Mirror Sport, Koscielny has had a three-year contract offer from Bordeaux and is also upset at what he sees as being made to take a 'substantial' pay cut by Arsenal.
With one year left on his current £120,000-a-week deal, Koscielny wanted an extension and had held discussions with the club about getting an extra 12 months. However, Arsenal were willing to give him a new two-year deal but with a lower basic salary and performance-related pay based on appearances.
The club also insisted that Koscielny could have ended up earning more with the extension than on his current deal with bonuses, especially if Arsenal had gotten back into the Champions League.
But Koscielny rejected the offer, has been left fuming, and believes the club should allow him to leave for free now to take up the chance to go home to France with Bordeaux offering a three-year deal.
As a result, Koscielny has ended up training with the under-23s while the club is in the United States, and is certain to face more action, including a club fine.
