Mikel Arteta has revealed that Arsenal defender William Saliba has offered to play up front to ease the north London club’s injury crisis.
Arsenal have lost strikers Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz for the season while wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are also sidelined through injury.
Arteta has challenged his team to step up amid the absences and, before Saturday’s Premier League clash against Leicester City, revealed that star centre-back Saliba, 23, is willing to step up.
Saliba began his career as a forward at AS Bondy and was coached by Kylian Mbappé‘s father, Wilfried. He dropped to centre-back as a teenager at Montfermeil and has played in the position since.
“Willy always says, ‘I’ll play as a striker, I’ll play,’ ” Arteta said.
“Willy is so funny, straight away it was one of his reactions. It’s true as well that he played there. He used to score a lot of goals.
“But probably a lot of players played there when they were younger. All the options are welcome. We are going to have to be creative.”
Saliba is one half of a strong centre-back pairing for Arsenal with Gabriel, though the Premier League title challengers do have other options at the back such as Riccardo Calafiori, Jurriën Timber, and the fit-again Ben White.
