Laurent Koscielny admits Arsenal need reinforcements in four positions

Koscielny wants Arsenal to sign a world class forward

Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny has called on Arsenal to make signings this summer, and in particular a top class centre-forward.

Koscielny was speaking at France’s pre-World cup training squad and said that if his club want to challenge for silverware this season they need to make this addition.

Arsenal were top of the table for more days than any other club this season but they waned and eventually finished some way off eventual champions Manchester City.

Koscielny formed a rock-solid partnership with Per Mertesacker at the heart of the Arsenal defence this season and has established himself as one of the best central defenders in the league.

“We’ll need a goalkeeper, a right-back, a midfielder and a striker,” said Koscielny.

“It’s important to have a minimum of these four players so that we’ll be better able to challenge over the course of a whole season against teams like Manchester City, Chelsea or (Manchester) United. Winning the FA Cup can change things and lead to other players coming.”

One of the key criticisms of Arsenal this season was that they did not address the obvious striking issues. Koscielny’s compatriot Olivier Giroud was forced to lead the line for the entire season and too often he looked jaded and in need of a rest.

“We need to recruit a very, very good striker, because it’s important for us, for competition for places, because Olivier needs that to become even better,” said Koscielny, who recently signed a contract extension until 2019.

“Having a striker who scores more than 30 goals a season can help us win the Premier League. Compared to the squads like Manchester City, even United, Chelsea, you can see there’s a certain difference.”

Despite falling short in the Premier League title race it proved to be a memorable season for Arsenal as they finally ended their trophy drought. The Gunners lifted the FA Cup after beating Hull City 3-2 and Koscielny said it was a vital result for the club.

“It was a relief for everyone. We felt a weight coming off us. We made the most of it when we celebrated our trophy, it was an extraordinary moment,” he said.

“Thanks to this trophy, we’ll be able to play more freely in the years to come without this pressure hanging over us, thinking ‘we must win a trophy.’”