According to a number of reports from Germany, Schalke wanted to sign Sead Kolasinac before the summer window closed.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal runs with the ball while pressured by Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 01: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal runs with the ball while pressured by Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 01, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Arsenal brought in Kieran Tierney this summer and shipped out Nacho Monreal, although it appears Unai Emery wanted the latter to remain at the club. Family issues, however, saw Nacho want to return to Spain.

Until Tierney is fit, which is expected to be in October sometime, the club will have to rely on Sead Kolasinac, who hasn’t always impressed despite arriving at the club as the top full-back in the Bundesliga.

Two different German outlets today reported claims that Schalke wanted Sead Kolasinac this summer [one, two] but the transfer ‘was not feasible for financial reasons’. The first source reports they tried to sign him, the second states they wanted to which is not quite the same as trying.

All of this implies that Arsenal were open to letting him go. Had they sold him, perhaps they would have refused Monreal’s request to be allowed to leave. Who knows?

Kolasinac, who arrived at Arsenal on a free from Schalke in 2017, currently earns around £100kpw with the club. That was financial issue number one for the German side.

He is also under contract until 2022 and still only 26 meaning Arsenal wanted a decent-sized transfer fee. That was financial issue number two.