Arsenal have beaten Everton to the signature of Schalke’s Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Sead Kolasinac.
The 23-year-old looked set to move to Goodison Park on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Schalke in June and having been in advanced talks with Everton officials. However, Arsenal have stolen in to seal a deal for the highly rated left-back after agreeing to offer the player a salary in excess of that he would have received on Merseyside.
This is the second time in under a year Arsenal have secured a player after he appeared to be on his way to Everton following the £17m signing of the Spanish striker Lucas Pérez from Deportivo La Coruña last August.
Kolasinac was born in Karlsruhe, southwest Germany, and represented Germany at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 level before deciding to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina, his parents’ homeland. He has 23 caps and has also played 118 times for Schalke since joining them from Stuttgart in 2011
Kolasinac had also been tracked by Milan and Chelsea and his decision to join Arsenal can be deemed somewhat surprising given the uncertainty surrounding Arsène Wenger’s future at the club.