William Saliba leaves with injury during France vs. Spain (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Arsenal are expected to step up their search for a new centre-back amid real concerns that William Saliba faces a long-term absence.
As first reported by the Daily Briefing, the Gunners are considering signing Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and West Ham United’s Konstantinos Mavropanos to deal with Saliba’s absence, but it is not yet clear how serious his back injury is.
Download the official CaughtOffSide app to get all the latest news and updates straight to your phone. above apple & Google play
Saliba had to leave the field abruptly in France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain, but sources did not confirm reports in the French press that the 25-year-old was likely to be out for four to five months.
Arsenal are expected to consider Saliba immediately, but efforts are already underway to strengthen their defense, as this is a position where Mikel Arteta has been keen to add depth.
What insiders are saying about Arsenal’s search for a centre-back
A source said: “Arsenal have been looking at signing a central defender in recent months and it’s not just about Saliba’s injury.” “However, we now expect that trend to intensify. There are great concerns about how long Mr Saliba’s departure will last, even if the reports from France have not yet been confirmed.”
He added: “Arsenal really like Ezri Konsa, so he’s a player to keep an eye on. We’re also having internal discussions about re-signing Mavropanos, who is likely to leave West Ham.”
Want more catchoffside coverage? Add us Google recommended sources Add trusted news to your favorites list
However, Arsenal have cooled their interest in Como centre-back Jacobo Ramon, while they also had an interest in Victor Valdepenas, who is set to join Fiorentina instead.
Arsenal look set for a busy summer, despite no other signings confirmed yet other than reserve goalkeeper Ilan Meslier.
It has been widely reported that Christos Tzoris is close to joining from Club Brugge for 40 million euros and I am sure Arsenal will be very proactive.
The top target remains Morgan Rodgers, a player to watch now that England’s World Cup is over, and it will be interesting to see if talks with Aston Villa ultimately lead to signing Konsa as well.
There has been a bit of silence regarding Bruno Guimarães, but that remains another priority and they will definitely have to look at other midfielders if that deal doesn’t work out.
