According to The Sun, Arsenal are weighing up a surprise move for former Manchester City defender John Stones following an injury setback for William Saliba.
Saliba aggravated a back injury during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain last week and the early indications are that he could be out of action for up to five months, as per The Sun.
Instead of spending big money, Arsenal are exploring an affordable experienced cover and they are now looking at the possibility of landing Stones on a free transfer after his Man City release.
Stones parted ways with the Cityzens after a 10-year stay, and the opportunity to play for the Gunners could be an enticing prospect for him. He has a good bond with manager Mikel Arteta, who was previously an assistant at Man City.
Experience
Saliba’s setback has come as a potential blow for the Gunners. The club have yet to provide an exact timescale for his return but he looks certain to miss the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Arsenal have plenty of right-footed centre-backs in the squad to choose aside from Saliba. Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber and Ben White are among options, but a couple of them are still unavailable.
Timber has been nursing a groin injury for the last few months which contributed to him missing out on the Netherlands’ World Cup squad. The Dutchman may need to be handled with plenty of caution.
White has yet to return to full training after his knee injury in May. Hence, Mosquera is the only readily available right-footed centre-back and Arteta may want another experienced solution before the Premier League season starts on August 21.
Stones would be a good addition to the ranks despite being 32. He had a difficult final campaign at Man City where he was largely on the bench or injured, but he went on to excel for England at the World Cup with multiple standout displays.
The former Evertonian showed that he can still cut it at the highest level. Stones, described as ‘world-class‘ by England manager Thomas Tuchel, could become Arsenal’s centre-back signing if he accepts a significant pay-cut on his previous wages.
Arsenal are unlikely to pay anywhere close to £250,000 per week he was earning at Man City. The Gunners could be willing to hand him a short-term contract for a couple of seasons if he is prepared to accept £120,000 weekly with a small signing-on fee.
