More defenders, Mikel, are you sure? When Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera over the summer, you could hear the ironic laughs.
The Gunners did bolster their forward line during the last transfer window but very rarely does a market go by without Mikel Arteta spending on the defence.
Well, thank heavens they did. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White have already missed a decent portion of the season while William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristian Mosquera have also missed matches due to injury.
Gabriel celebrates for Arsenal
It’s left Arsenal in a tricky spot. Christian Norgaard filled in at centre-back against Club Brugge a few weeks ago while Declan Rice even featured at right-back against Brighton last weekend.
Therefore, it’s unsurprising that they’re targeting more defenders heading into 2026.
Games played by Arsenal defenders - 2025/26
Player
William Saliba
Gabriel
Jurrien Timber
Piero Hincapie
Riccardo Calafiori
Cristhian Mosquera
Ben White
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Marli Salmon
Arsenal chasing highly-rated defender
Despite injuries, Arsenal’s backline looks well set up for the future.
Mosquera has walked into the Arsenal team with relative ease and ensured that when Saliba was absent, he wasn’t hugely missed. The way in which the young Spanish defender performed at Anfield on his first start in the 1-0 defeat at the start of the season spoke volumes.
Mosquera-Arsenal
Combine his presence with Hincapie’s breakthrough, both at centre-back and left-back, and you sense Arteta has plenty of ways he can configure his backline.
Add another defender to the party and his options become even more dreamy.
Reports from Fabrizio Romano back in the summer suggested that Arsenal had an interest in Rennes centre-half Jeremy Jacquet.
Well, according to Caught Offside, that interest very much remains. They claim that he is on the club’s shortlist heading into 2026 and that ‘informal discussions’ about the player have taken place regarding the player’s situation.
The report does state, however, that no bid has been made yet.
jeremy-jacquet-stade-rennais
Jacquet is valued at around £35m according to reports back in November. It’s a high price for a 20-year-old defender but certainly one worth paying. For context, Saliba cost £27m as an 18-year-old and look at him now.
Why Jacquet would be a good signing
If Arsenal added the young French centre-back to their squad, then believe it or not, their defence would get even better.
This is a player very much cut from a similar cloth as Saliba. Like Arsenal’s number 2, he made his breakthrough as a teenager in Ligue 1 and has been earning rave reviews since.
He is yet to be capped at international level but it surely won’t be long before the young centre back makes his way into Didier Deschamps’ squad. A move to Arsenal might well propel his chances.
Already described as a player with “top five centre-back in the world potential” by scout Ben Mattinson, fellow scout Jacek Kulig suggests he’s an “insane centre-back in the making.” It’s easy to see why.
jeremy-jacquet-stade-rennais
Like Saliba, he plays in an effortless manner. His composure for someone so young is incredible. As Mattinson further outlines, he "plays with a maturity beyond his years."
Similarly to Saliba, he’s also got lengthy strides that not only help him to recover quickly and eat up ground swiftly, but it also means he’s particularly strong in the ground duel, winning 62% of his ground battles this season and 60% in 2024/25.
William Saliba career in France (timeless)
Not just content with being difficult to beat inside his own box, Jacquet also has a bit of Gabriel about him. He’s a “dominant” presence from set-pieces, according to Mattinson, only adding further allure to this young defender.
Said to be "scarily talented" by Mattinson, there is very little the Rennes sensation cannot do. From the same academy as PSG superstar Desire Doue, there is plenty to like about this 20-year-old.
If Arsenal can get their hands on him for as small a price as £35m, they’ll have Europe’s next top centre back, someone ready and waiting to replace Saliba.