Sead Kolasinac will join Arsenal on July 1

Sead Kolasinac will be an Arsenal player on July 1 once his contract with Schalke 04 expires.

Arsenal have already completed their first signing of the summer, after Sky Sports confirmed left-back Sead Kolasinac will officially join the club on July 1. The Bosnia and Herzegovina left-back will officially become a member of the Gunners once his contract with Bundesliga club Schalke 04 expires, per Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports News:

Bosnia left back Sead Kolasinac to join Arsenal when his Schalke contract runs out on 30 June
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) May 15, 2017

Arsenal’s deal for Kolasinac has been gathering pace in recent days, with Schalke-based journalist Raphael Wiesweg reporting terms had been agreed on a five-year contract. Calciomercato’s Matteo Pedrosi laster confirmed the contract had been signed:

Done deal: Sead #Kolasinac has signed a 5-year contract with @Arsenal.
— Matteo Pedrosi (@MatteoPedrosi) May 13, 2017

Moving quickly to tie down a player also wanted by Premier League rivals Manchester City and Everton represents a minor coup for the Gunners. It’s a good start to a highly intriguing summer where the future of manager Arsene Wenger will dominate the agenda.

Wenger’s contract expires at the end of this season and many fans want the embattled Frenchman out after another struggle to challenge for major prizes.

However, the deal for Kolasinac could be an indicator Wenger intends to stay in charge beyond this summer. In fact, Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reported in April reported how Kolasinac had been told Wenger intends to still be in charge next season.

Wenger staying would make sense since Kolasinac is a good fit for the 3-4-2-1 formation the 67-year-old has employed for the past month. Kolasinac is a versatile, solidly built and ultra-athletic defender who can play full-back, center-back or even as a defensive midfielder.

Yet his best position at Arsenal will be as a left wing-back, per Michael Keshani of Football.London:

"The wing back position suits Kolasinac and his attributes perfectly. His defensive style is primarily on the front foot, preferring to push out into tackles and make interceptions high up, and his excellent recovery pace acted as his barrier in cases of being caught."

Just as important, Keshani applauded Kolasinac’s range of movement and quality in forward areas:

"There is such variety in every aspect of his attacking play, as his technical ability allows him to provide a range of crosses and in turn act as a goal threat himself at points."

Kolasinac has proved his worth as an attacking outlet this season, chipping in with three goals and seven assists in all competitions for Schalke, according to WhoScored.com.

Expect Kolasinac to challenge 31-year-old Nacho Monreal for the starting wing-back berth on the left. If he wins the job, Monreal may play as a wide center-back in the back three, a position he’s looked comfortable in for the Gunners recently.

Signing Kolasinac means Wenger probably remains committed to the 3-4-2-1 beyond this season. It also means Kieran Gibbs’ future is in doubt, with the England full-back linked with Newcastle, per the Sunday Sun, via Russell Edge of Football Insider.