Sead Kolasinac to Sign for Arsenal from Schalke on a Long-Term Contract

Sead Kolasinac will join Arsenal this summer, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

The versatile defender's contract with Schalke 04 is up at the end of the season, and it was revealed the Gunners will sign him on a long-term contract, per their official website.

Arsenal also shared a video of Kolasinac on their Twitter feed:

According to the Daily Star's Alex Harris, the Gunners will pay him £7.4 million per year, just over £142,000 per week.

Goal's Chris Wheatley thought it was good business for Arsenal:

Kolasinac will leave the Bundesliga side having spent five years at the Veltins-Arena. During his time in the German top flight, he established himself as one of the most effective and versatile operators in the division.

There's a lot to like about Kolasinac The 23-year-old is clearly an intelligent operator, as he reads the game well and is astute in his positional play. But he meshes aggression and energy into his game, too.

As these numbers from Squawka Football illustrate, the Bosnia-Herzegovina international is something of an all-rounder, able to contribute in all phases of the field:

What would have also appealed to Arsenal manager Arsene is Kolasinac's ability to do a fine job in different positions. 

Although he's been at his best when utilised as a left-back in the past, the former Germany youth international is comfortable in the centre of defence, in midfield and pushed further forward in a wing-back berth.

Arsenal arguably needed this upgrade in the left-back spot, with Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs showing vulnerabilities at times during 2016-17. Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes Kolasinac's capture may offer some insight into the system the Gunners will use next season:

Based on his consistency, age and the improvements made as of late, it feels as though Kolasinac has chosen the right time to embark on a new challenge.

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For Arsenal, getting him without paying a transfer fee is also a significant coup. According to Fabrizio Romano and Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian, the defender had received an offer from Everton, while also attracted admiring glances from Chelsea and AC Milan.

It's going to be intriguing to see how Kolasinac adapts to his new surroundings and, especially, where Wenger believes he can have the biggest impact for the team. Given the minor expenses involved in getting this one done, Arsenal supporters will feel they have grabbed one of the bargains of the summer.