Arsenal are being heavily linked with a move for Manchester City defender John Stones, but they ought to pivot to a different target instead.
The Gunners are exploring centre-back options on the market after William Saliba suffered a back injury during France's World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. While an exact timeline for the 25-year-old's absence has not been confirmed, there has been speculation suggesting he may not feature for Mikel Arteta's team until December or January, with Arsnal's update on the situation stating that he would be out for an "extended period".
Ezri Konsa has emerged as a target for Andrea Berta, although Arsenal are reportedly unwilling to meet Aston Villa's £60million valuation for the England international.
The North Londoners are instead said to be considering a shock move for Stones, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City at the end of last season.
Arsenal should not move for John Stones
John Stones in action for Manchester City
Arsenal are in a precarious position regarding Saliba's injury. The Frenchman will be back in action at some point next season, and at that point, whoever comes in to replace him in the short-term will become somewhat redundant in Arteta's squad.
Thus, it's easy to see the appeal of a short-term deal for Stones. The Manchester City man brings a wealth of experience, is still capable of playing at the highest level and is available for free.
On the surface, the 32-year-old is the perfect stop-gap solution to rotate in and out of Arteta's side with Cristhian Mosquera.
That said, Stones has played just 20 Premier League matches over the last two seasons. He's injury-prone himself, will command huge wages given it'll be his final big contract and displayed signs of fragility defensively at the World Cup.
Arsenal should steer clear and sign a younger player who can be a more serious long-term option alongside Saliba and Mosquera.
Arsenal should sign Jon Martin instead
Mikel Artetavia Reuters
Arsenal have been loosely linked with a move for Real Sociedad's Jon Martin, who would represent a significantly more astute signing than Stones and has been described as an 'aerial duel monster' by football analyst Ben Mattinson.
The 20-year-old broke through into the Basque outfit's first team in the 2024/25 season, and has since established himself as one of the brightest young centre-backs in La Liga.
Exceptionally composed in possession, Martin would help replace some of the outstanding ball-playing traits they'll miss without Saliba. While certain aspects of his positional play defensively could still improve, the Spaniard is dominant in the air and aggressive enough physically for the Premier League.
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The Gunners should be able to negotiate a reasonable fee for the player with Sociedad, given the two clubs have a close relationship, having agreed deals for the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Kieran Tierney and Nacho Monreal in the past.
It would be a much more sensible investment than signing an ageing John Stones to a lucrative short-term deal. However, Martin did recently put pen-to-paper on a new contract with La Real, which would make a deal even more difficult to get done this summer.
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