Arsenal News: Former teammate Olivier Giroud says Laurent Koscielny is very hurt by the ongoing transfer conflict with Gunners

What's the story?

According to friend and former teammate Olivier Giroud, Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny is "very hurt" by his situation at the club and in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the World Cup winner leapt to the defence of his countryman.

In the interview, Giroud revealed that important details regarding Koscielny's tussle with Arsenal aren't out in the open and advised the fans not to judge without knowing all the facts.

In case you didn't know...

Laurent Koscielny and Arsenal are involved in an ongoing conflict, with the club captain pursuing a mutual termination of his contract to secure a free transfer away from the club.

The Frenchman refused to join the rest of his teammates for Arsenal's pre-season tour in the United States. And, as a result, Arsenal released a statement on their website, expressing their disappointment.

"We are very disappointed by Laurent’s actions, which are against our clear instructions. We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time."

Koscielny reportedly has offers from Ligue 1 sides, but Arsenal have shown no willingness to sanction his departure on a free transfer.

The heart of the matter

It was revealed that Koscielny was in talks to renew his contract with the club before Arsenal's Europa League final in Baku, but began to push for a transfer after becoming unconvinced with the club's project. Arsenal's rejection of his decision has put the experienced centre-back in a state of disagreement with the club.

Giroud defended his former teammate's actions and went on to say that despite the current situation, Koscienly has always been grateful to the club.

"I'm not at the club, I don't know what really happened - but one thing for sure is Lolo is very hurt by what's happening and he's an emotional person."

"I think he has always been grateful about that and respectful to the club. I don't understand how we have got to this situation. I feel very sad for him because he's a great person and the media wants to give a bad image of him."

"You cannot make a judgement when you don't have all the clues. I'm pretty sure we don't know everything in this situation."

"I hope both sides will find the best agreement."

Exclusive: Olivier Giroud says Laurent Koscielny “very hurt” by Arsenal rift, warns not to judge without knowing facts, urges both to find agreement. Explains “didn’t want to leave” #AFC for Chelsea, #CFC “higher expectations”, Lampard, transfer ban & more https://t.co/PulI4EAP6O

— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) July 16, 2019

What's next?

Giroud's comments come as a timely reminder to Arsenal fans that despite the ongoing tussle, the club remains close to Koscielny's heart but circumstances have ensured that the Frenchman is set on a move away from North London.

The situation is extremely delicate, particularly given that Koscielny is Arsenal's permanent captain. With the forthcoming Premier League less than 3 weeks away, the club will be hoping to get the situation resolved at the earliest.