Opinion: Arsenal signing elite €50m star would be insurance against worst-case Saliba scenario | OneFootball

William Saliba is arguably the most important player at Arsenal right now.

Sure, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are irreplaceable, but if William Saliba is unable to play, Arsenal are not the same team.

That was proven in the 2022/23 season, when Saliba was ruled out for the final eight weeks of the season and the Gunners crumbled, with Manchester City pipping them to the Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta must be fully aware that Arsenal are a Saliba injury away from a real crisis.

The Gunners just wouldn’t be able to cope without the 23-year-old at the heart of their defence right now.

The 6ft 4in defender is already one of the best three centre-backs in the world, and without him, Arsenal are measurably weaker.

Mikel Arteta cannot afford to exit the January window without sufficient cover for the towering central defender.

€50m star would be Arsenal’s insurance against William Saliba scenario

The Gunners simply have to go out and sign a capable backup for Saliba, and who knows, perhaps a long-term replacement for the Frenchman as well.

What happens if he suffers a long-term injury, or if Real Madrid come knocking for his signature?

In order to provide some real competition and cover for the 23-year-old, Arsenal should go all out for Antonio Silva this winter.

According to A Bola, Benfica could sell Silva for around €50 million either in January or next summer.

The 21-year-old Portuguese starlet is a huge talent, and he has everything needed to succeed at the very highest level of the game.

He stands at 6ft 2in tall, and has a great leap. His positional awareness is second to none and he has superb ability with the ball at his feet.

In six league appearances for Benfica this season, Silva has averaged two tackles, one interception, 2.5 clearances and 2.8 successful aerial duels per game.

He has made 73.8 passes per match and has recorded a really impressive completion rate of 91.4%.

Those numbers are mightily impressive, especially given his tender years.

And if Arsenal really want to provide some proper competition and genuine cover for William Saliba, Antonio Silva would be the perfect man for the job.

Stats via Who Scored.