French Defender Outlines His Plans to Follow in the Footsteps of Laurent Koscielny and Join Arsenal
Valenciennes defender Pierre Barremaecker has revealed he one day dreams of working his way up from Ligue 2 to the lofty heights of the Premier League.
The 21-year-old defender is yet to make a start for the Ligue 2 outfit, and at 21-years-old many would write off the ambitious youngster however, Barremaecker has cited current Gunners defender Laurent Koscielny as the exact reason he believes he will one day play at such a high level.
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Koscielny was a player that went under the radar of many top teams throughout his time in France, making over 50 Ligue 2 appearances with the likes of Guingamp and Tours, before moving to Lorient at 23-years-old.
From Lorient, Koscielny made the significant switch to Arsenal and has since developed himself into one of the league's most gifted centre backs, with the Frenchman even earning himself a call up to the France national team.
As such, there is no better role model for Barremaecker to look up to in his pursuit of a greater challenge and a more illustrious club.
Speaking to French news outlet Nord-Eclair, Barremaecker opened up on his ambitions and the footballer he held in high regard, saying: "My models are Koscielny and Thiago Silva, for his leader mentality.
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"Other than that, I dream of playing in the Premier League and to wear Arsenal’s shirt, because when I started to watch football, Vieira, Henry and Bergkamp were there.
“If I could one day wear the France shirt, that would really be a magical moment in my career.”
(You may also like: Lorient President Claims Laurent Koscielny 'Wants to Finish Career' at Former Club.)
However, in spite of Barreaecker's ambitions, he may be a long way off pulling on the Gunners jersey for the first time, with the North London outfit being well-stocked in the centre back position, with the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Konstantinos Mavropanos all vying for a starting spot.
