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

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.

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.

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

Stones is yet to make a decision on his future but has not ruled out remaining in England although he has attracted significant interest from abroad.

The former Everton centre-half worked with Arteta during their time together at the Etihad Stadium and could be attracted by the prospect of rekindling that relationship.