The rumour mill is churning and it has thrown up a fascinating scenario at the Emirates. With William Saliba facing a spell on the sidelines, Arsenal...
The rumour mill is churning and it has thrown up a fascinating scenario at the Emirates. With William Saliba facing a spell on the sidelines, Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a move for Manchester City's John Stones. According to information gathered by GoalZaza, the Gunners see the England international as a potential short term fix, and here is the kicker, they want him on a free transfer.Let us be clear about the situation. Losing Saliba is a hammer blow for Mikel Arteta. The Frenchman has been the bedrock of this Arsenal defence, the calm head in a backline that sometimes gets a little too emotional. You cannot just replace that kind of presence with any warm body. Stones, however, offers something different. He is not a like for like swap in terms of raw physicality, but his reading of the game and his comfort in possession are a perfect match for how Arteta wants to build from the back. Is he a risk given his own injury record Absolutely. But the thought of Stones stepping into a low block alongside Gabriel, with Declan Rice sweeping in front, has a certain appeal. It feels like a gamble worth taking.Meanwhile, across north London, Chelsea have begun formal talks for Maxence Lacroix. The Wolfsburg centre back has been on the radar for a while, a player built for the pace of Premier League transitional play. Chelsea's defensive problems are well documented, a revolving door of injuries and inconsistent form. Lacroix offers raw speed and the kind of aggressive defending that Mauricio Pochettino seemingly demands. He is not the finished article by any stretch, but he has the raw ingredients to become a proper handful for opposition forwards. If Chelsea can get this over the line quickly, it adds some much needed steel to their backline. The summer window is starting to look very interesting indeed.
