‘Arsenal will make Marc Guehi move’ after William Saliba latest
Arsenal will make a move to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi if William Saliba leaves to join Real Madrid in the summer.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Guehi is seen as the top target to replace their current star man.
Palace, meanwhile, remain reluctant to lose the 24-year-old but may be powerless to resist given the ever-growing level of interest in his signature.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 4 February that the Gunners have joined Liverpool, Tottenham, and Newcastle in the race to sign the Crystal Palace captain.
Saliba, meanwhile, has emerged as one of Real Madrid’s top targets as they are expected to look to strengthen Carlo Ancelotti’s defensive options in the summer.
The 23-year-old is regarded as the perfect option for Los Blancos given his age and relative experience amid growing concerns about their current ageing options.
Arsenal are determined to keep hold of the first-choice centre-back, but have begun planning for all eventualities as they do not want to be caught out.
Arsenal planning to replace William Saliba after Real Madrid twist
Now, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted that Arsenal are prepared to join the race and will make a move if Saliba leaves.
“Ideally, they want to keep Saliba at the club,” he told Football Insider.
“But he’s a target for Real Madrid and he’s a name near the top of their list of targets.
“Which would be bad news for Crystal Palace, because Arsenal will be looking at Marc Guehi.
“He’d be the perfect option to slot in there, he’s an England international with plenty of Premier League experience, he’s very good on the ball, he’s extremely consistent, and he’s a leader.
“There are going to be a lot of teams after him in the summer, as we’ve discussed before.
“Palace won’t want to see him go, of course, because he’s their captain and he’s a very important player for them.
“But looking at his contract situation and the sort of teams who are interested in him, it’s looking more likely that he’ll be making a step to one of the bigger sides.
“So if Saliba goes to Real Madrid, I expect Guehi to be Arsenal’s top target to replace him.“
Kai Havertz replacement lined up at the Emirates
It is already shaping up to be a busy summer at the Emirates after their lack of activity in the January transfer window after they failed to address key areas in their squad.
Arsenal are currently focused on potential incoming players as they do not intend to let their best players leave the club, but are prepared to react to any offers they receive.
There is a feeling that bringing in an out-and-out striker would help bridge the gap between being title challengers and Premier League winners.
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