Arsenal are reportedly considering a January move for Bayern Munich centre-half Kim Min-jae as they cope with a depleted defence, while the club has issued a statement clarifying William Saliba's absence from the official squad photo.
The Gunners face Nottingham Forest on Sunday, hoping to reduce the gap to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. However, they will be without Saliba, who has missed the entire season so far.
Kim Min-jae on Arsenal's radar
According to CFBayernInsider, via the Mirror, Kim has been a topic of discussion within the club as they consider defensive reinforcements in January. The South Korean international has slipped to third choice at Bayern Munich but had no desire to leave the German club this summer.
Kim signed for Bayern in 2023 and is contracted until 2028. The 29-year-old has featured in six matches across all competitions this season, starting two of the club's five league fixtures.
With Saliba out, Cristhian Mosquera and recent recruit Ezri Konsa have stepped in for the French international.
Statement on Saliba's absence
Arsenal moved to address concerns after Saliba was noticeably absent from the team's official squad photo, taken at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Wednesday and shared on social media.
Shortly after sharing the photo, the club announced: "Due to a medical appointment, William Saliba was not available this afternoon."
The centre-back recently resumed individual training, and manager Mikel Arteta expressed optimism about his recovery but declined to provide a specific timeline for his return. When asked if Saliba might be back after the November international break, Arteta said: "I don't know, we're still talking about weeks, and when that happens it's very different whether he would play just before, or after that, because it's a very specific injury that he processes."
