After 273 appearances, 22 goals, five assists and two Emirates FA Cup winner’s medals, Laurent Koscielny has decided to extend his stay with Arsenal.
The France defender has established himself as one of Europe's finest defenders since his arrival in 2010, and also scored decisive goals on the final day of the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons to secure Champions League qualification, and the equaliser against Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final.
- French trio sign new contracts with Arsenal
- Behind the Numbers: Koscielny, Giroud, Coquelin
- 'He's one of the best in the world now'
- 'Watching Koscielny is a joy for me'
“I feel very happy to continue my adventure with this club,” the 31-year-old told Arsenal Player. “It’s been seven years and I have more [hopes] for the future with this team.
“I’m pleased for my family to live in London, for me to play for this club. I have everything here to be happy on and off the pitch, so that’s why I decided to continue my adventure with Arsenal.
“When you are a footballer, it’s not just about football, it’s about your life. Arsenal are a big part of my life. My children were born in London, a big part of my life, and my life’s changed since they were born.
“They are happy with their life in London, they love Arsenal and my children are always excited when they are going to the Emirates to watch a game. It’s the best thing I can have.
“We will progress every year but we need to push more,” Koscielny added. “The team has stayed the same and we don’t have many players coming or going from the club, so it’s important to keep our best players at the club. We want to win together, so we will do everything we can to succeed.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.