Arsenal star refused to go on pre-season tour to force through summer transfer

View 2 Images

Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny once refused to join the club’s pre-season tour in order to force through a summer transfer. Mikel Arteta ’s Gunners are currently deep into their pre-season preparations.

They will look to shake off any rust built up during the post-season break by taking on Girona in Spain on Saturday, August 1). The Premier League champions will then face Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como in the coming days, before playing Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 16.

A good pre-season plays a crucial role in providing the baseline for fitness and tactical ideas going into the new 2026/27 campaign. As such, it is hard to imagine any player within Arteta’s squad seeking to disrupt this current team’s rhythm by not flying out with the rest of the camp.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

But things were very different in N5 before the Spaniard took over, with Arsenal going through a period of uncertainty and chaos on and off the field between 2018 and 2019, after Arsene Wenger left the club.

That was no more evident than when, during Unai Emery ’s brief reign in charge, Gunners skipper Koscielny went on strike in an effort to seal a return to France. The then-33-year-old stunned the club hierarchy by informing them he was refusing to take part in the pre-season tour of America.

Emery reacted furiously and immediately informed Arsenal’s then-head of football Raul Sanllehi, who sanctioned the decision to publish a statement condemning Koscielny’s actions.

The statement read: "Laurent Koscielny has refused to travel to the US for our pre-season tour. We are very disappointed by Laurent’s actions, which are against our clear instructions.

"We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time."

The rest of the Arsenal squad flew to the United States without their long-serving centre-half, who instead trained with the Under-23s while a resolution was sought. Koscielny had 12 months left on his deal and felt the club were pricing him out of a departure by demanding £10m for the player.

View 2 Images

He was also said to have been frustrated at his playing schedule being mismanaged following the injury he suffered during the 2018 Europa League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, and was dismayed at the direction in which the club was headed.

The Frenchman finally got his wish on August 6, 2019, as Arsenal accepted a £4.6m offer from Bordeaux, ending the defensive veteran’s nine-year stint in north London. In his controversial transfer announcement video, Koscielny was shown ripping off an Arsenal shirt to reveal the colours of his new team - a gesture that angered fans.

The move was a huge blow for Emery on the eve of the new season, with Arsenal’s short-staffing at the back already an issue. But it removed a significant problem as Koscielny had made it clear that summer he wanted to leave.

The defender left the Emirates Stadium after making 353 appearances and winning three FA Cup trophies. He spent three seasons playing in Ligue 1 for Bordeaux.

After that ill-fated spell, Koscielny initially rejoined Lorient as a youth coach. He became part of the upper management when Les Merlus [the Hakes] were relegated in 2024. The club would go straight back up as champions.

Sky's Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.