Arsenal are ramping up efforts to bring in defensive reinforcements after manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that both William Saliba and Jurriën Timber remain unavailable for the foreseeable future, leaving the club short on options at the back.
Saliba, who suffered a back injury during the World Cup, is expected to be out for a prolonged spell. Arteta declined to give a firm timeline for his return but admitted the France international would need considerable time to recover. "William Saliba is in rest mode at the moment for two weeks. He had to do almost nothing, an aggravated injury, so it's going to take some time to heal," Arteta said.
The situation is further complicated by Timber's fitness troubles. The Dutch defender withdrew from the Netherlands squad ahead of the World Cup after failing to shake off a persistent groin issue that also hampered him for much of the closing stages of last season. While Arteta struck a more optimistic tone regarding Timber's recovery, he stopped short of suggesting an imminent return. "Jurriën is progressing really well," the Arsenal boss said. "He's on the pitch, he's doing quite a lot right now, but it's still weeks away. I cannot tell you how much."
The defensive concerns come at an inconvenient time, with Arsenal having just suffered their second consecutive friendly defeat. Borussia Dortmund beat the Premier League champions 3-2 to claim the Emirates Cup, a match in which Arsenal's back line was repeatedly exposed. Arteta fielded Cristhian Mosquera alongside Gabriel Magalhães in central defense for that fixture, but the pairing struggled to contain Dortmund's attacking threats.
Asked how his side would cope in the absence of two key defenders, Arteta acknowledged the scale of the challenge. "We have experienced that in the past, unfortunately. When he's been available, he's hit home and the stats are incredible. We know we lost a massive player, the same with Jurriën," he said, referring to Saliba's importance to the team.
On the transfer front, Arsenal have already tested Aston Villa's resolve over Ezri Konsa, only to see an initial bid rejected. The north London club are expected to return with an improved offer for the versatile England international, who can operate at both center-back and right-back. Villa reportedly value Konsa at around £60 million, a fee Arsenal are reluctant to meet given the 28-year-old has less than two years remaining on his current contract.
Arsenal have also been linked with Tottenham's Cristian Romero, though a move for the Argentine defender appears highly unlikely. Spurs are said to be firmly opposed to strengthening a direct rival by sanctioning a sale to Arsenal.
With the Community Shield against Manchester City looming this Sunday, Arteta emphasized that his current squad must quickly find solutions rather than rely solely on the transfer market. "It has to be the right player in the market to make us much better," he said. "We conceded some poor goals today, in the way we competed especially. But that's a collective responsibility. So we need to improve with the players we have."
Arsenal's hierarchy now faces a delicate balancing act—managing the immediate defensive crisis while pursuing sustainable, value-driven additions to the squad before the new season gets fully underway.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.