Mikel Arteta has reportedly blocked Schalke signing Sead Kolasinac on a permanent basis according to a report in Bild.

Coming via Sport Witness, Bild report that Schalke are keen to sign Sead Kolasinac who joined the German side on loan in January. Eager for regular minutes, and seen as a disaster waiting to happen by most Arsenal fans, it seemed like a good move all round.

Now, with Kieran Tierney’s injury ruling him out for the rest of the season, Arteta has reportedly blocked a permanent move away for the Bosnian due to concerns over the number of fitness problems the Scot has suffered.

With his contract expiring in the summer of 2022, and funds extremely limited at Arsenal, the German publication claim Arteta wants to avoid a repeat of this season when he had to turn to a number of creative solutions to fill in for Tierney, including using Granit Xhaka in that role.

Last month, Sport1 in Germany claimed that Kolasinac was considering signing for Schalke on a permanent basis, even if they were relegated. With just six games remaining, they are rooted to the bottom of the table, 10 points adrift of FC Koln in 17th place, so it seems less a matter of ‘if’ than ‘when’ they are relegated.

At the weekend, Kolasinac dropped to the bench for the first time since joining FC Schalke on loan, coming on for a 16-minute substitute appearance in a rare 1-0 win for the side.