Arsenal hold talks to sign John Stones after William Saliba injury update

Arsenal have now held talks over the signing of former Manchester City defender John Stones, following an update on William Saliba’s back injury.

Stones is available on a free transfer, having left Man City as a club legend upon the expiration of his contract at the end of June, and he would arrive at the Emirates Stadium with a wealth of experience.

City have gone toe-to-toe with Liverpool and the Gunners in recent years, and the centre-back has personally won six Premier League titles, five EFL Cups, the Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two Community Shields.

The 32-year-old was one of the most important players during the Pep Guardiola era, making 295 appearances since joining from Everton in 2016, but his game time has been more limited as of late, appearing for just 439 minutes in last season’s Premier League due to injuries.

However, the former City man was still called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup, where he went on to make five appearances, and an average of 6.0 defensive contributions per 90 was the third-highest number in the squad.

Following the Three Lions’ exit at the semi-final stage, the Englishman’s next task will be to find a new club ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, and the Gunners have been ramping up their pursuit, after emerging as potential suitors on Sunday.

Arsenal open talks to sign John Stones

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal have now entered talks regarding a deal for Stones, who is set to make a decision about which club he will join after a short holiday.

Mikel Arteta is eager to bring in a player capable of playing at both centre-back and right-back, which means the England defender could be the perfect option.

The north Londoners’ interest in signing a new defender also stems from Saliba suffering a back injury, and they are now becoming increasingly concerned he will be forced to undergo surgery, which could rule him out for the rest of 2026.

Stones, who has been lauded as “unbelievable” by Tuchel, missed the majority of the 2025-26 campaign. However, the experienced centre-back could be a solid short-term replacement for Saliba, if he is able to put his injury issues behind him.

One advantage the Gunners hold over other suitors is that Stones is represented by ‘The TEAM’ agency, who also represent Arteta, potentially creating a smooth path to negotiations with no club-to-club talks needed due to his status as a free agent.