Arsenal’s pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is likely to fail, according to a report, as the player wants assurances over playing time.
Alan Nixon and Justin Allen report for The S*n that Arsenal are facing defeat in their pursuit of Marc Guehi because they can’t guarantee him minutes.
Guehi reportedly wants regular minutes in 2025/26, so he’s looking for assurances from Mikel Arteta that he’d get it in north London. But William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are likely to remain starters for the Gunners next season.
The defender doesn’t want to be sitting on the bench next season, and the report suggests that means he views Liverpool as a better option for him. He’s evidently more confident about displacing either Virgil van Dijk or (perhaps more likely) Ibrahima Konate.
Jarell Quansah’s imminent move to Bayer Leverkusen is perhaps playing a role here, as there’s clearly an opening in the Liverpool squad. At Arsenal, there’s no sign yet of a departure for third-choice centre-back Jakub Kiwior.
On the surface, Arsenal don’t have a huge amount of depth at centre-back, with Gabriel, Saliba, and Kiwior the only full-time central defenders.
But the Gunners would have plenty more options if and when everyone gets fit, with Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Riccardo Calafiori all capable of playing centrally. None of the four are currently expected to leave this summer.
The full-back quartet have struggled with injuries in recent seasons, which is why Arsenal are still seemingly keen to make a signing at the back. If even one or two of them are out, the others also disappear as options because they’re needed on the flanks.
But with Myles Lewis-Skelly’s emergence as a regular left-back, perhaps the likes of Tomiyasu and Calafiori could be freed up to play in the middle more often. If they can get fit.