Arsenal eye move for World Cup star on free transfer after William Saliba injury

William Saliba is set for a prolonged period on the sidelines (Credits: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

Arsenal

are stepping up their contingency plans to cover for

William Saliba

’s potential long-term absence.

The Gunners ended their wait to become

Premier League

champions last season and their success was largely founded on their miserly defence.

A partnership between

Gabriel Magalhaes

and Saliba was central to their success but the France international could miss as much as five months with the back injury that resurfaced during the

World Cup

.

The 25-year-old missed the run-in during the 2022/23 season and Arsenal struggled without him, eventually missing out on the title to

Manchester City

Saliba has managed the condition ever since, but his back gave out again during France’s semi-final defeat against Spain earlier this week.

Arsenal are yet to decide on the best course of action but surgery hasn’t been ruled out.

Either way,

Mikel Arteta

is set to be without one of his first choice central defenders for a significant period of time.

William Saliba injured his back against Spain (Picture: Shutterstock)

Arsenal’s first team squad is currently blessed with potential replacements with Pierro Hincapie,

Riccardo Calafiori

and Cristhian Mosquera all capable of deputising, while teenager Marli Salmon could feature more prominently next term.

Arteta, however, had already been mindful of Saliba’s workload having been forced to nurse the former Saint-Etienne defender through the tail-end of last season.

Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa had emerged as a potential target, but the

The Sun

reports that a move for free agent John Stones is under consideration.

John Stones is currently without a club (Credits: Shutterstock)

The 32-year-old brought the curtain down on a trophy-laden decade with Manchester City last month upon the expiration of his contract.

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