Mikel Arteta urged to drop ‘world-class’ Arsenal star for £42m teammate | Football

Mikel Arteta has been urged to drop star defender William Saliba as Arsenal’s season threatens to implode.

The Gunners were competing for all three trophies just two weeks ago but a Carabao Cup final defeat and a shock FA Cup exit has left Arteta’s side sprialling.

Arsenal blew their likelihood to win a primary major trophy since 2020, losing 2-0 to Manchester City within the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

Arteta would have hoped and expected his team to return to winning ways against Southampton within the FA Cup but it surely was the Championship side who advanced to the semi-finals courtesy of a 2-1 win at St Mary’s.

Despite suffering back-to-back defeats for the primary time this season, Arsenal can still enjoy a memorably and successful campaign as they appear to clinch their first Premier League title since 2004 and first ever Champions League trophy.

Arsenal boast a healthy nine-point lead over Man City but know Pep Guardiola’s side can close the gap after they play their game in hand. The Gunners also face a frightening trip to the Etihad Stadium later this month.

Arteta’s team were flawless within the Champions League group stage and a last-16 win over Bayer Leverkusen earned them a quarter-final tie against Sporting, with the primary leg going down on Tuesday night.

As Arteta looks to get Arsenal’s season back on course, the Gunners boss has been advised by World Cup winner Marco Materazzi to begin Riccardo Calafiori at centre-back ahead of superstar defender Saliba.

Saliba has hardly put a foot incorrect over the past 4 years but Materazzi believes Calafiori, who has often played at left-back since joining Arsenal in 2024, is the higher option.

‘I feel Riccardo Calafiori is the most effective Italian defenders at once,’ former Italy defender Materazzi told Hajper.

‘He grew very fast when he was at Bologna. Now Arsenal must imagine in him. One of the best ways for Arsenal is for Calafiori to be allowed to play his best football.

‘For me, Calafiori is best at centre-back. Arsenal should play Calafiori with Gabriel as an alternative of William Saliba. He has a superb left foot.’

Saliba and Gabriel have formed the most effective centre-back partnerships in world football lately and Materazzi believes the Brazilian could soon be a Ballon d’Or contender.

‘I feel at once in football you never know who will win the Ballon d’Or because if Lionel Messi wins the World Cup then he’ll rating so many goals in Miami too,’ he added.

‘MLS is just not the most effective league on this planet but when he scores 40 goals in a season and wins the World Cup, I feel he has the most effective likelihood to win the Ballon d’Or.

‘It’s demanding for one defender to win the Ballon d’Or. Fabio Cannavaro was the last to do it but you never know in football. If Gabriel keeps scoring goals and wins some trophies for Arsenal too then why not?’

Ex-Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, considered the most effective in Premier League history, is a known admirer of Saliba.

‘I feel he’s going to be the most effective defender on this planet,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel last yr. ‘Saliba will probably be the most effective defender on this planet when Virgil van Dijk gives up that post.

‘As soon as that happens, it could possibly be in a yr, it could possibly be three years. Every time it’s going to be I don’t see anyone else taking on.’

After facing Sporting within the Champions League, Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign after a one-month break against Bournemouth.

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