Arsenal have been left slightly short in defence following confirmation William Saliba requires an extended period of rest due to a back problem
15:35, 27 Jul 2026
Last summer, Arsenal confirmed the departure of much-loved defender Takehiro Tomiyasu following the mutual termination of his deal.
Tomiyasu had endured rotten luck with a knee injury sustained in pre-season in 2024 and the Gunners felt the best course of action would be to part ways with the Japan international.
They never, however, truly replaced his versatility and ability to play in multiple roles across Mikel Arteta's backline.
That's why a signing of similar ilk this summer would be welcomed - a profile that would help bolster their depth at both centre-back, left-back and right-back.
William Saliba is set for an extended period on the sidelines due to the back problem he aggravated at the World Cup with France.
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While the likes of Christian Norgaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, Ben White and Jurrien Timber can all provide cover at centre-back, the responsibility mainly rests with Cristhian Mosquera.
Mosquera is more than capable of filling in for the Frenchman, in fact, he has even been dubbed 'Baby Saliba' due to his similarities with his team-mate but if Arsenal want to go far in all competitions again, they can't solely rely on Mosquera to plug the gap.
Additionally, Calafiori, Timber and White all had fitness issues last season, which saw Arsenal's defensive options become depleted at various points of the season.
Gabriel Magalhaes has also been dealing with knee pain and it's far-fetched to expect him to play as many matches as he did last season, particularly on the back of the World Cup.
A defender doesn't appear to be among Arsenal's top priorities right now but it would be wise for the club to consider signing a strong Swiss army knife-like player, capable of boosting Arteta's options both centrally and at full-back.
Arsenal won't just sign any player though. That's now their recruitment style. It has to be somebody that fits both into the Gunners' short-term and long-term thinking.
Ezri Konsa would be a step above that in the sense he is a ready-made starter who could play both as a right-back or centre-back.
Still, Aston Villa are trying to sign Konsa down to a new contract following an excellent World Cup and it's unlikely they will consider offers unless Konsa personally pushes to depart.
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There is believed to be a big gap between what Arsenal would be willing to pay and what Villa would consider fair value.
At 28, Konsa is approaching his peak years and given Villa have already lost Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans this summer, it's easy to see why a sale does not appeal.
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