This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
Laurent Koscielny has finally left Arsenal for Bordeaux, bringing an end to a nine-year stint with the Gunners.
Published on August 6, 2019, the French defender had been at odds with the club over his transfer, refusing to go on the team's pre-season tour of the US this summer in a bid to secure a move back to France.
However, a bitter standoff ensued when Koscielny was unable to make the move on a free transfer due to having a year left on his current deal at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite his claims that he should be allowed to leave for nothing, backed up by his former Gunners teammate Olivier Giroud, Arsenal officials were angered by Koscielny's conduct and made him train with the club's under-23s.
However, the 33-year-old was eventually sold to Bordeaux for a reported £4.6million, bringing an end to a nine-year spell at the Emirates Stadium.
During his time at Arsenal, Koscielny played 353 times for the Gunners and won the FA Cup three times, but has been dogged by injury in recent years.
