Who is Odilon Kossounou? The Club Brugge man linked with a move to the Emirates

Who is Odilon Kossounou? The Club Brugge man linked with a move to the Emirates

By Adam Le Roux

As the Mikel Arteta revolution continues at the Emirates the Spaniard is constantly on the lookout for more recruits to bolster the Arsenal squad, and if you believe the daily rags the Gunners boss already has his eye on another defender to add to the ranks. 

The Belgian Pro League is where you’ll find the latest talent that has been unearthed by the Arsenal scouting team, and that man’s name is Odilon Kossounou. 

The 20-year-old has been hotly tipped to become one of the standout defenders in Europe in years to come, and rated at around £20m he could be considered something of a bargain in the current climate. 

So what do we know about the young talent, and just why are there a number of clubs chasing his signature? 

Odilon already has the pedigree

He may have only turned 20 at the turn of the year, but Kossounou already has a wealth of experience to his name, with around 50 combined first-team appearances for current team Club Brugge and Hammarby, as well as being capped internationally. 

There aren’t too many players who make their debut for their country as a teenager, but it is a sign of the defender’s potential that Patrice Beaumelle brought him on as a substitute in Ivory Coast’s clash with Belgium at the end of 2020. 

As well as turning out for the Elephants before he had even been on the face of the Earth for two decades, Kossounou also has Champions League and Europa League experience to his name.

 

The Belgian side have been no pushovers in their European exploits this season either, with the defender featuring in respectable draws with Lazio, as well as a resounding 3-0 victory over Zenit Saint Petersburg in the group stages. 

But even in two defeats to Borussia Dortmund Kossounou rarely looked out of place, and for someone to have such a presence in the backline at such a young age it only proves how much further he can go in the game. 

At 20 years of age, he definitely still has a lot of learning to do, but in Arteta and his coaching staff, as well as the elder statesman in the dressing room, David Luiz, the Ivorian will have the perfect role models if he were to make the move to the Emirates in the summer. 

But the Gunners will have to fend off a number of other European clubs if they are to succeed in earning his signature, with both Milan sides rumoured to be interested in the defender, as well as fellow Premier League side Wolves. 

Therefore, it is pivotal that Arsenal don’t dilly dally in making their move for Kossounou, who could add an extra dimension to the backline, and be a fulcrum of the defensive unit for years to come. 

Kossounou can cure Gunners’ crumbling core

Having moved from the Ivory Coast to Sweden at the age of 18, Kossounou caught the eye within the early stages of his time at Hammarby, with Brugge making the move to sign the young defender after just nine outings for the Swedish side. 

And even at that tender age, the new recruit made an instant impact at his new club, featuring a further 11 times throughout the season, including in European ties with Real Madrid and a two-legged affair with Manchester United. 

As well as performing on the continental stage, the Arsenal target also helped his side to the league title last season, while they sit 12 points clear at the top of the table in the current campaign. 

Much of that has been down to a stern defensive unit, who have conceded just 18 times in their 26 league matches this season, with Kossounou featuring in 21 of those domestic outings. 

The centre back plays with a maturity that is well beyond his years at the heart of the Brugge defence, with his reading of the game akin to someone who has played 18 seasons at the top the game, let alone 18 months. 

He is so alert to the danger that it is often snuffed out before it has even materialised, with his positioning nullifying opposition attacks with ease. 

And even if he does get caught out, the defender’s pace and timing of the tackle has proved so pivotal in winning the ball back for his side, with his telescopic legs reaching the seemingly unreachable. 

Where does he fit in Arteta’s plans?

It may be easy to think that Arsenal have a wealth of defenders on their payroll already, so what is the need for another? 

With Gabriel, Rob Holding, David Luiz and Pablo Mari all knocking around, it would be easy to dismiss the signing of Kossounou as an unneeded expense, when there may be other areas that need improving first.

 

But with age on his side, the £20m spent on the defender will look like decent business a few years down the line, when he is turning out for the Gunners instead of another European giant who are more than likely to be making their move soon. 

Liverpool were already sniffing around the Ivorian to cure their defensive woes before turning to Schalke’s Ozan Kabak, and they won’t be the last side to make a move either. 

With David Luiz’s game time almost certainly set to deteriorate with a potential coaching contract in the offing, a fourth defender is most certainly needed, and having a cheap but reliable option such as Kossounou is exactly what Arteta needs. 

The Spaniard has often showed faith in youth during his tenure as Gunners boss, and he will no doubt be the man to bring the best out of the defender if he can persuade him to make the summer switch.

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