{"id":50579,"date":"2026-07-24T04:45:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T08:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/arsenal-offer-champions-league-defender-34m-to-replace-william-saliba\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T04:45:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T08:45:14","slug":"arsenal-offer-champions-league-defender-34m-to-replace-william-saliba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/arsenal-offer-champions-league-defender-34m-to-replace-william-saliba\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal offer Champions League defender \u00a334m to replace William Saliba"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/arsenal-offer-champions-league-defender-34m-to-replace-william-saliba\/#Arsenal_offer_Zeno_De_Basto_a_chance_to_sign_him\" >Arsenal offer Zeno De Basto a chance to sign him<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-5' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/24\/arsenal-offer-champions-league-defender-34m-to-replace-william-saliba\/#How_Arsenal_managed_to_land_their_most_exciting_signing_since_Declan_Rice\" >How Arsenal managed to land their most exciting signing since Declan Rice<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Following updates on the severity of William Saliba&#8217;s injury, Arsenal have been approached to sign Sporting CP defender Zeno De Basto.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>Gunners journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Saliba was sent off before half-time in France&#8217;s World Cup semi-final match against Spain, and the centre-back will be out for an &#8220;extended period&#8221;. <em>\u201cAfter extensive evaluation, we have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but Mr. William should begin a managed recovery program.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;William&#8217;s rehabilitation will begin immediately, with continued management of his injury, but he is expected to be out of action for an extended period of time.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Mikel Arteta could therefore only need to sign a short-term replacement, with De Basto, who has been a mainstay for Sporting CP over the past two seasons and appeared in 72 games, including 12 in the Champions League, emerging as an option.<\/p>\n<p>One of the Belgian&#8217;s most impressive attributes is his passing, averaging 7.0 accurate long balls per 90 in La Liga last season, the best in the entire division.<\/p>\n<p>Saliba is also confident in possession, completing an average of 67.3 accurate passes in the Premier League in 2025\/26, 13.1 more than any other member of Arteta&#8217;s squad.<\/p>\n<p>    As a result, the Sporting star could be a viable replacement for the Frenchman in that regard, although former Anderlecht manager Brian Riemer has suggested his &#8220;defensive qualities&#8221; are not as impressive as his possession abilities.<\/p>\n<p><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"arsenal-offered-chance-to-sign-zeno-debast\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Arsenal_offer_Zeno_De_Basto_a_chance_to_sign_him\"><\/span>\n                        <strong>Arsenal offer Zeno De Basto a chance to sign him<\/strong><br \/>\n               <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal have been in contact with De Basto and his agent has told them he could be available for around 40 million euros (approximately 3.4 billion yen) this summer.<\/p>\n<p>The Gunners are open to signing the 26-cap Belgian international as they continue their search for Saliba&#8217;s replacement, but formal negotiations have yet to take place.<\/p>\n<p>Zeno De Basto&#8217;s performance in Liga Portugal in the 2025\/26 season<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>                                        17 games\n                        <\/li>\n<li>\n<p>                                        2 assists\n                        <\/li>\n<li>\n<p>                                        74.1 accurate passes per 90\n                        <\/li>\n<li>\n<p>                                        3.7 clearance per 90\n                        <\/li>\n<li>\n<p>                                        0.5 blocks per 90\n                        <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"table-container\">\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" style=\"\" align=\"\" summary=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"2\" scope=\"row\">\n<p>What are the chances of Zeno De Basto joining Arsenal?<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>Arsenal open to transfer<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>Arsenal are open to signing De Basto, but have not yet pressed ahead with a deal, suggesting they are still considering their options. Saliba does not need surgery but is expected to be out for an extended period of time, which could increase the chances of Arteta&#8217;s side making a move for the Sporting defender.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>price tag revealed<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>However, paying \u00a335 million for an unproven player in one of Europe&#8217;s top five leagues would be relatively expensive, especially considering there are lower-cost alternative leagues.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th scope=\"row\">\n<p>More experienced options available<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<td>\n<p>The Gunners have held negotiations to sign John Stones, who could be acquired on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City. There is also interest in Ezri Konsa, but Aston Villa are demanding \u00a360m, which could be an issue.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<p>Arsenal are also keen to strengthen at the other end of the pitch this summer, with progress made on the signing of Atletico Madrid star Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez.<\/p>\n<p>Andrea Berta is currently in direct negotiations with the Argentine striker, with a transfer fee potentially worth up to \u00a3170 million.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"display-card  article article-card small  no-badge  active-content                              \" data-include-community-rating=\"false\" id=\"how-arsenal-could-seal-most-exciting-transfer-since-declan-rice\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n<p>                        <\/p>\n<p>                    <span data-field=\"label\" class=\"article-card-label\"><label>related<\/label><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-content regular article-block\">\n<h5 class=\"display-card-title \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Arsenal_managed_to_land_their_most_exciting_signing_since_Declan_Rice\"><\/span>\n<p>\t\t\tHow Arsenal managed to land their most exciting signing since Declan Rice<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">Declan Rice is Arsenal&#8217;s best signing during their time at the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following updates on the severity of William Saliba&#8217;s injury, Arsenal have been approached to sign Sporting CP defender Zeno De Basto. Gunners journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Saliba was sent off before half-time in France&#8217;s World Cup semi-final match against Spain, and the centre-back will be out for an &#8220;extended period&#8221;. \u201cAfter extensive evaluation, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[8098,44,276,381,40,97,185,815,995,7465],"class_list":["post-50579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-34m","tag-arsenal","tag-champions","tag-defender","tag-football","tag-league","tag-offer","tag-replace","tag-saliba","tag-william"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}