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What's the story?
Arsenal manager Unai Emery has finally addressed Laurent Koscielny's current row with the club which resulted in the Frenchman's refusal to join his teammates for their pre-season tour in the United States.
In case you didn't know...
The Gunners were without their captain as they kicked off their pre-season tour with a friendly against Major League Soccer side, Colorado Rapids.
Goals from Bukayo Saka, James Olayinka, and new recruit Gabriel Martinelli helped the Premier League side to a comfortable win. When first-team stars like Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Özil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang entered the pitch in the second-half, they had little to do.
Koscielny's refusal to travel for the club's pre-season games stems from a disagreement with the club over his contract. The Frenchman was not too happy about the way the club managed his playing time after he recovered from his Achilles injury and the discontentment could have intensified when Arsenal failed to secure Champions League football.
The centre-back, who is in the final year of his contract, deemed that it was appropriate for him to leave this summer but discussions about a possible exit turned ugly.
The heart of the matter
Speaking in a press conference after Arsenal's 3-0 win, Emery addressed Koscielny's situation by saying,
"He started training with us this pre-season and I spoke with him three times for his situation. We wanted him to come with us on this tour but he decided to stay. Now it is a matter for the club and for the player."
"He has one year left on his contract. For me as a coach, he's an important player. Now it's one matter for him and the club. The club and him need to speak, they are speaking about his situation. I cannot say more than that. I spoke with him before he came here and he decided to stay there."
"We spoke with a good spirit for both the team and him but this is his decision, only his decision. He's speaking only with the club. Really I cannot say more about that. For me now it's clear we need to keep moving ahead."
The manager added,
"We're here with the players who have the spirit to create the new way. Laurent Koscielny for me, now, I'm waiting on his decision with the club."
What's next?
Arsenal will travel to Los Angeles to face Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup.
