Hincapie could replace Gabriel with Saudis linked amid Lewis-Skelly concerns

MIKEL ARTETA loves an element of yin and yang in his centre backs.

William Saliba is quietly efficient. The Frenchman barely looks to be breaking a sweat, is rarely caught out of position when under pressure and rarely even raises his voice.

10 Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba form a perfect centre-back partnership for Arsenal Credit: Getty

10 Piero Hincapie could be the perfect addition to Arsenal's defensive options Credit: Getty

And in Gabriel, he has the aggressor who loves a physical scrap and thrives on winning aerial duels in defence and attack, especially from set-pieces, constantly geeing up his teammates with energy and passion.

Gabriel may have signed a new contract in June until 2029, but at the age of 27, there may come a time in the not-too-distant future when Arteta eyes up a potential long-term replacement in that left-sided centre back position alongside Saliba – who is only 24.

And in Piero Hincapie, 23 – Arsenal’s eighth arrival of the summer on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with a £45m option next year – he may just have one already.

At some stage this season, it would not be surprising to see Arteta experiment with the Saliba-Hincapie combination to test whether they could afford to let Gabriel leave, especially as the Brazilian has been linked to – and reportedly shown an interest in – a Saudi switch in recent windows.

Hincapie fits the aggressor mould perfectly in more ways than one after getting into a heated shoving match with Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister during the closing stages of Ecuador’s impressive 1-0 victory over Argentina.

That in itself had the North London faithful drooling.

The new Gunners arrival is certainly no shrinking violet, and looks like he will take little time in adapting to the velocity and intensity of the Premier League.

And like Gabriel, he is more than just an occasional hot-head – he has the technique and skill to back it up, something that is a necessity in Arteta’s Arsenal system.

10 Hincapie has a heated face off with Alexis Mac Allister during the international break Credit: X

Against the Argies – helping Ecuador to a FIFTH -straight clean sheet – Hincapie topped the stats charts with two interceptions, five recoveries, nine defensive actions, a 90 per cent pass accuracy and was not dribbled past once.

He was equally as impressive in last week’s 0-0 draw against Paraguay, winning six out of six duels, while his work in possession also stood out, carrying the ball 309 metres during the 90 minutes.

In comparison, during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Chile, Gabriel managed 200 metres on the ball, attempting no dribbles and winning just three of his six duels.

Arteta has been in charge for a long enough time now that another starting XI transition may be on the cards shortly – a daunting prospect for any manager challenging for major titles.

But at centre back, Arsenal are in a good place, with Cristhian Mosquera , 21, already looking to be a potentially worthy replacement for Saliba should Real Madrid get their hands on him.

Mosquera was thrown on at Anfield in their 1-0 defeat after just five minutes with Saliba struggling with an ankle issue that could keep the Frenchman out for a month, and dealt with the cauldron incredibly well.

It is likely that Mosquera will start alongside Gabriel against Nottingham Forest on Saturday – another glimpse into the future for Arteta and his back four plans.

10 Cristhian Mosquera has looked comfortable since making his debut Credit: Getty

Arsenal Women are breaking new ground in the Women’s Super League yet again this season – playing all of their 11 home games at the Emirates for the first time.

In their campaign opening-day 4-1 victory against London City Lionesses, they had an impressive attendance of 38,000.

A staggering number when you consider it was more than all the other WSL games COMBINED .

It included 17,000 seasonal packages – a mix of season tickets and six-game bundle tickets bought by a growing and trailblazing Arsenal Women fanbase – a record-12 per cent rise on similar packages bought in 24/25.

Arsenal really are leading the way with promoting their women’s team. Last season, they played nine games at the Emirates with an average attendance of 34,110.

To put that into perspective, that was more than the average numbers posted by TEN men's teams in the Prem last term.

That includes Brighton (31,481), Leicester (31,448), Southampton (30,865), Wolves (30,755), Nottingham Forest (30,076), Ipswich (29,742), Fulham (26,826), Crystal Palace (25,116), Brentford (17,185) and Bournemouth (11,200).

Of the top three all-time attendance records in the WSL, Arsenal hold all three with 60,160 against Manchester United in February 2024, 60,050 against Tottenham in March 2024 and 59,042 against Chelsea in December 2023.

Having gone from averaging nearly 3,500 in the WSL the season before England hosted Euro 2022, Arsenal grew that more than eight times to almost 30,000 in the space of two years.

This weekend, SunSport understands there will be a new ‘crowd surfer’ unveiled across the East Stand, made by members of the Arsenal Women Supporters’ Club, new season ticket holders and artist Lauren Corelli.

There will also be the introduction of post-match meet and greets at the Emirates for select season ticket holders with first-team players.

Their pricing model has also been hailed, with early bird tickets this season ranging from £13.50 to £18 for a standard adult ticket – significantly cheaper than the men’s prices.

With all their games now being played at the Emirates, their average may not be as high this season, but chief commercial officer Juliet Slot said in June: “The thing is to maintain sustainable growth.

“I would rather regularly have 29,000 than have one sell-out and then lots of 10,000s. We are building this sustainable audience.”

10 Arsenal Women played their WSL opener in front of 38,000 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial

10 The Gunners wound up 4-1 winners of the London City Lionesses Credit: Getty

The Manchester United Class of 92 have often spoke of how Sir Alex Ferguson would encourage his players to settle down with a family to help them focus and develop a maturity both on and off the pitch.

Maybe Mikel Arteta has had similar conversations?

The likes of skipper Martin Odegaard , Kai Havertz , Gabriel Jesus , David Raya , Gabriel and Ben White - as well as former players Aaron Ramsdale and Jakub Kiwior - all either got married or had kids, or both, after joining the club.

In May, White welcomed the birth of a baby boy with partner Milly having tied the knot in June 2023, and the Arsenal right-back has recently spoken about the bond he has with his teammates who are also husbands and fathers.

White said: “It’s an amazing experience, and there is a nice little group of us new dads in the team now, because there isn’t a big age difference between mine, Martin’s and Kai’s babies, so it’s great.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been getting tips from them, especially, because everyone has their own way, but it’s nice that we are all going through the same thing at the same time.”

10 Ben White is one of many Arsenal stars who have settled down since making the North London move Credit: Getty

Riccardo Calafiori picked up Arsenal’s Player of the Month award for August, starting all three of their first Prem games and scoring on the opening day.

The Italian’s renaissance as a starter for Arteta after seeing his time at the club so far hampered by injuries is a reminder of how quickly things can change.

There is now a concern for Myles Lewis-Skelly – the 18-year-old academy graduate has played just 44 minutes of Prem football so far this term, and was an unused substitute in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool before the international break.

It is a stark contrast to last term when he started 15 Prem games following his senior debut at the Etihad in September.

Lewis-Skelly was also left out of Thomas Tuchel’s match squad for the 5-0 thumping of Serbia on Tuesday night having played 90 minutes in the 2-0 victory against Andorra last week.

The teenager’s Three Lions absence was put down to a tactical decision by Tuchel, as well as a recognition of being able to start again after going the distance against Andorra.

Arteta is desperate for competition in all positions in his squad, and his decision to start with Calafiori this term is likely a little nudge to Lewis-Skelly not to rest on his achievements so far, while also giving him time to rest after a gruelling first season in men’s football.

There was a school of thought that Calafiori was preferred to Lewis-Skelly in the opening few Prem games because of his height and physicality needed at set-pieces, and it paid off after netting from a corner at Old Trafford in the 1-0 win over United.

Maybe this is just what Lewis-Skelly needs, rather than what he wants, with a World Cup just around the corner and Tino Livramento of Newcastle impressing at left-back in Serbia.

10 Riccardo Calafiori won Arsenal's Player of the Month award for August Credit: Getty

10 Calafiori's form could be a concern for Myles Lewis-Skelly Credit: Getty

Charles Sagoe Jr has been nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month.

The 21-year-old winger notched two goals and two assists for the U21s in their opening three games of the season, with one of his strikes also up for August’s Goal of the Month.

Sagoe Jr was once at the forefront of Arteta’s thinking after making his first senior start in a Carabao Cup third round 1-0 win at Brentford back in September 2023, playing 68 minutes.

He was then included on the bench for both a 2-0 Champions League victory over Sevilla and a 3-1 Prem win against Burnley at the Emirates in November of that year.

Since then, he has been shipped out on loan to Swansea and Shrewsbury Town, making a combined 20 appearances before heading back to North London.

It appears Sagoe Jr has fallen down the pecking order, especially after not being taken on the summer tour of Singapore and Hong Kong with 15-year-old Max Dowman shining instead in his position on the wing.

And with Arsenal’s summer spending of over £250m this summer on the likes of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze , there is a feeling that Sagoe Jr’s chance to convince Arteta of his future potential is fading, despite signing a new deal until 2027 last summer.

He may need to leave soon to gain some proper first-team experience away from the academy teams at London Colney, and Arsenal will be confident of fetching a decent fee for him should that time come.

10 Charles Sagoe Jr has been nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month Credit: Getty