England's World Cup is over (except for that third-place qualifying group), and Arsenal's tired stars are almost at the end of the race.
It's been a year for the Gunners, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are among those who have missed a few minutes for the team and the country. Of course, winning the Premier League has made the journey more enjoyable, but there is no doubt that the holiday in the coming weeks will do the players a world of good ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Arsenal will go again, determined to retain their golden belt while looking to go one better in Europe and lift the Champions League. They came very close to immortality, going down on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Mikel Arteta's side have the potential to do something special next year, but have been rocked by a back injury to William Saliba, who will miss months of action.
They are already targeting Aston Villa midfielder Ezri Konsa, although the Villans are reluctant to sell. However, Arsenal are ready to consolidate their long-term interest. After all, they need to find a way to replace the incomparable Saliba.
How Saliba won Arsenal the Premier League
Saliba, 25, probably doesn't ignore the headlines as often as his Brazilian counterpart Gabriel Magalhaes, but there lies the ultimate litmus test at the Emirates: Saliba is Arsenal's star centre-back.
Extremely calm and composed in charge, Saliba studies the game like a scholar, the leading man in the steel back line that proved the backbone of Arteta's title-winning side.
Conceding an xGA (expected goals against) of just 0.74 per game on average, there is no doubt that Saliba and his teammates played a dominant role during the long display, with that figure being the fourth highest ever recorded by Opta in the Premier League. David Raya has gained fame for his clean sheets between the sticks, but the stress of his job is greatly eased by such reliable defenders.
Expected goals against (xGA) is the number of goals a team is expected to score based on the quality and quantity of shots they face.
His Premier League record since arriving four years ago, 90 wins from 131 appearances in the division, is nothing short of extraordinary; he was instrumental in establishing the Gunners as the cream of the crop.
|
Won William Saliba's Percentage in the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Applications |
win % |
|
25/26 |
27 |
71% |
|
24/25 |
38 |
54% |
|
23/24 |
35 |
73% |
|
22/23 |
31 |
78% |
Saliba was playing for France in the World Cup, but following his nation's loss to Spain in the semi-finals, he has decided to undergo surgery due to a long-term back injury. He played through the pain, but is hoping for surgery to provide a long-term fix.
Arsenal will make their own decision before sanctioning the layoff which will take months to recover from. They will be well aware of what will happen on the field when Saliba is gone.
All this means that Saliba is definitely the one, as French legend Marcel Desailly says he is “in the conversation for the best defender in the world”. That alone should tell you how badly Arsenal and Arteta need his skills.
But adaptability is Arteta's strength. He knows how to navigate the rocky terrain of brutal injuries, and has begun work on finding a solution in the transfer market, hence the interest in Konsa.
However, you have internal options to choose from as well.
Arsenal could unleash a dream on Saliba's replacement
Saliba is a possibility, but Arsenal must prove they can adapt without their French half in the squad. Gabriel is now set to play a major import role, but the Londoners may already have a clever in-house solution.
One year and a week ago, Arsenal signed Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia for £13m. Smart money for a talented young defender, but he quickly outgrew that price, emerging into the Champions League.
As one Arsenal insider said, “We have a monster on our hands.” Mosquera, who has been expensive for years, has arrived in north London on a shoestring and is well on his way to stardom.
After all, the analyst Spencer Mossman noted during the days of the 23-year-old Valencia that he was on his way to becoming “the best center in the world”, and although he started only nine times in the Premier League for Arsenal, his display of football and defensive-defense has told a lot about his abilities; he is expected to advance this year.
In fact, with Saliba out of the reckoning, Mosquera may play a role as Gabriel's main partner in the first half of the upcoming campaign.
Sure, he has the physical and technical attributes to be one of the best defenders in Europe, but he also has an unreadable tenacity in his stomach that has raised him in the mind of Arteta, the Spanish manager who was struck by his defense at the start of the season, following the Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.
Mosquera is strong in the challenge, confident and quick on the ball, flexible and determined when he puts himself first in his manager's position. He has all the qualities to replace Saliba next season, and is something the club will have to keep an eye on as they figure out how to combat this devastating injury and go on to win the title again.
Back in April, Everton emerged as opponents to sign the Spaniard, but it looks like that deal will now go through, even if Arsenal press ahead with their bid to sign Konsa. The 28-year-old is among the Premier League's top defenders, but it would be a huge asset that could disrupt Mosquera's move.
Perhaps Saliba's injury will provide one piece of consolation: it could see any exit for Mosquera evaporate, thereby allowing him to develop into a world-class star at the Emirates.
