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

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

via 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.

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.

Manchester United are eyeing reinforcements for their forward line for the upcoming season, and that has led them to begin looking at young targets.

The Reds have added Tynan Thompson to the squad from Tottenham on the wing, while Marcus Rashford has returned from his loan at Barcelona and is expected to be reintegrated into Michael Carrick’s side. Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Karl Darlow have also joined so far in the summer window.

But United are still keen for more additions, with the attack being looked at ahead of a Champions League campaign, and a new target has now emerged as an option.

Man Utd Eyeing Tresoldi Deal

According to a report by HLN, Man Utd have emerged as a concrete option for Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi.

Tresoldi, who has been described as ‘outstanding’, enjoyed a fine season with the Belgian side as he scored 19 goals to help the team lift the title, and he is now being targeted by a number of top clubs across Europe as a result.

The 21-year-old was the subject of a £30m bid from AS Roma earlier in the window, which was immediately rejected by Brugge, after they made the decision prior to the window opening that the player wouldn’t be sold under any circumstances.

However, it’s reported that should Roma return with a big offer, or Man Utd decide to firm up their interest with a bid too, then that stance could be forced to change.

Tresoldi has agreed to stay at the club for another year so far, but should United enter the race that stance could also be tested. It’s reported that the Italian-German striker would be keen on the move, having already found success in Belgium. United are keeping a close eye on the situation.

Tresoldi a Market Opportunity

Man Utd have been alert to market opportunities in recent transfer windows, and it seems as though Christopher Vivell is going to be pulling the strings behind the scenes once again here.

Tresoldi is one of the top attacking talents in Europe at the moment, and at his age there is plenty of room for growth and development too. Man Utd already have Benjamin Sesko as a young forward with great potential, but there is plenty of game time to go around and they can push each other well to develop and help the team.

A deal is likely to cost more than £35m to get done, but for Man Utd that isn’t a big outlay. It would solve a problem position by offering depth and quality, and also offer the chance to make money in the future if things don’t quite work out. This is definitely one to watch.

Arsenal are exploring a sensational move for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, as Mikel Arteta’s summer transfer plans finally start to kick into gear.

The Gunners have had a slow start to the window, with their only pieces of confirmed business being the signings of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer from Leeds. While there is some excitement over Tzolis, these deals are hardly ones to get the pulses racing in North London.

A formal offer for Vinicius certainly would, though. Reputable journalist David Ornstein revealed on Saturday that a deal for the Real Madrid star is plausible, with the 26-year-old entering the final year of his contract at the Bernabeu.

If developments aren’t made in negotiations over a fresh deal in the next week or so, then Arsenal are on hand to pounce.

With that said, we take a look at the winners and losers of Vinicius’ prospective move to the Emirates.

Winners From Arsenal Signing Vinicius Junior

Bukayo Saka

For too long, Bukayo Saka has carried the burden of being Arsenal’s standout attacking threat. Opponents have increasingly built their defensive plans around stopping him, safe in the knowledge that few other players consistently punish the extra attention he receives.

Vinicius would make that approach far riskier. His ability to burst down the left and threaten the goal himself means teams couldn’t simply overload Saka’s side without leaving dangerous spaces elsewhere.

Whether defenders shift across to contain Saka or stay on the left to deal with Vinicius, Arsenal would finally have two genuine ball-carrying, goal-threatening outlets capable of exploiting the gaps. It’s exactly the kind of variety Arteta’s attack has been lacking.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard orchestrates the bulk of Arsenal’s attacks. The Norwegian sits in the right half-space and dictates the tempo of the Gunners’ football, distributing the ball to the two wide men, who are then obliged to make something happen in the final third.

In his five-and-a-half years in N5, Odegaard has been heavily reliant on Saka’s output on the right. He has fed Saka in dangerous spaces consistently, without being able to trust the man on the opposite flank.

With Vinicius, the Arsenal captain will finally have someone he can regularly feed on the left, who can actually start producing on this side. This could have a hugely positive effect on Odegaard’s assist numbers, improving the public perception of his work.

Piero Hincapie

Arsenal undoubtedly view Vinicius as a potential saviour to their left wing woes. These reports are validated by the suggestion that Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is seen as an alternative, clearly demonstrating their vision for the Brazilian.

If Vinicius does indeed arrive in North London, he may not play as an archetypal winger. It’s possible he’ll be deployed in more of a narrow role, which would allow him to pick the ball up in the pockets and in the half-spaces.

This should, in theory, benefit Piero Hincapie, who looked much better when he had Leandro Trossard or Eberechi Eze operating in this narrow role ahead of him on the left. Hincapie is much more comfortable playing on the outside and overlapping his winger, rather than playing inside and inverting into midfield as Riccardo Calafiori does.

Losers From Arsenal Signing Vinicius Junior

Gabriel Martinelli

Vinicius’ arrival as a potential left-winger at Arsenal would essentially put an end to Gabriel Martinelli’s career at the Emirates Stadium. If the Gunners are willing to fork out in excess of £100 million on the 26-year-old to predominantly play on this flank, it means they don’t believe in their existing Brazilian left-winger to produce what is required.

Arsenal have already sold Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for £17 million this summer, and Martinellli could soon follow.

Even if he stays in North London, Vinicius’ signing could be the final nail in the coffin for the former Ituano man’s prospects of being Arsenal’s star left-winger. He may not stay, however, with Bayern Munich understood to be interested in the 25-year-old.

Christos Tzolis

via Reuters

Christos Tzolis likely knew that he was signing up for something of a squad role when agreeing to join Arsenal from Club Brugge. Rarely does a player jump from the Belgian league to a top-six Premier League club, for just £34 million, and immediately assume a starring role.

The Greek was probably aware that he’d have to bide his time in Islington and wait for an opportunity to stake a claim to be the first-choice option on the left flank under Arteta. He likely expected a Barcola or a Nico Williams to arrive to compete with him — excellent players but not indispensable figures.

Just days after his move to the Emirates became public, reports linking Arsenal to the best left forward in world football have emerged. Tzolis may now be ruing his decision to swap Brugge for the British capital, not because he doesn’t back himself to succeed, but because he may be competing for minutes with a bona fide superstar.

If Vinicius signs for the Gunners, he’ll expect to play almost every available minute in the league and the Champions League. He can’t just be a regular starter, but he’ll need to be the key pillar that Arteta builds the team around if he agrees to join the North London club.

That leaves Tzolis in a difficult position, desperately fighting for the odd cameo or appearance in cup competitions. While his switch to Arsenal could still work wonders for his status in European football, he may not be called upon anywhere near as regularly as he might’ve expected when first hearing of the Gunners’ interest in him.

All Statistics via FotMob — correct as of 25/07/2026