English club Arsenal is considering signing international defender John Stones as a free emergency solution, following growing fears of a long absence for French centre-back William Saliba due to a back injury.

The British newspaper The Sun reported on Sunday that the Gunners have not yet assessed the severity of the injury to Saliba, 25, but there are fears he could be sidelined for up to five months, after he was forced to leave the World Cup semi-final match that France lost to Spain due to chronic pain he could no longer bear.

This development has prompted the Premier League champions to turn their attention to Stones, 32, the free agent who ended his contract with Manchester City at the end of last June after spending 10 years with the Sky Blues.

Stones is considered an ideal option for coach Mikel Arteta, who previously worked with him at Manchester City when he was an assistant to Pep Guardiola, giving him close knowledge of the English defender's abilities and technical potential.

Stones stood out notably during the World Cup knockout stages, after a fluctuating participation in the opening match against Croatia; he started in the quarter-final against Norway and the semi-final against Argentina, becoming the first free agent to represent England in the World Cup.

Stones and his agents are expected to evaluate his available options after the tournament ends, amid domestic and international interest in his services, while playing time appears to be the decisive factor in determining his next destination, especially after his limited involvement with City this season, where he has started only 4 matches since November.

Arsenal's move for Stones comes on the back of the heavy blow it suffered in the transfer market with the loss of its long-term target Morgan Rogers, who moved to rivals Chelsea for 117 million pounds from Aston Villa, becoming the most expensive British player in the Blues' history, and is scheduled to undergo a medical on Monday.