Arsene Wenger says it is “really satisfying” to see Laurent Koscielny fulfil his potential.

The France international has developed into one of the Premier League’s foremost defenders since joining from Ligue 1 side Lorient in the summer of 2010.

Koscielny was relatively unknown when he signed for Arsenal, which the boss says makes his continuous development all the more rewarding.

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“He had a lack of experience when he came here,” Wenger told the official matchday programme. “When I watched him, I saw the potential but he had a lack of experience, and with that he had a bit of a lack of confidence as well.

“Now he’s getting stature. He has pace, technique, understanding of the game and intelligence, as well as the needed confidence to play.

“He has developed and has gone through some difficult periods. That’s part of the development.

“Because he started late in his career, he had to gain that experience of being responsible.

“It’s really satisfying to see him fulfil his potential because he’s a player I bought from Lorient. When you listen to people, you always get names that everybody knows.

“Sometimes it’s rewarding to find people who have the quality to play for our club but are not necessarily the names that everybody else is after.

“He really has the level and it’s important as well that these players get the chance to play for us.

“When you make a successful buy you are always happy, because you think you have done something well for the club and that’s what you want to do.”