William Saliba could look to secure a permanent move away from Arsenal if the club's pursuit of Ben White proves successful, according to a report.

Brighton & Hove Albion defender White was reportedly the subject of a rejected £40m offer from the Gunners earlier this month, and Mikel Arteta's side are believed to have come back with a £45m bid.

Arteta will start the 2021-22 campaign without Sokratis, David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi, leading to suggestions that Saliba would be given the chance to prove his worth in pre-season.

However, football.london now reports that Saliba could leave without playing a single game for the club if White's possible arrival pushes him further down the pecking order.

The report adds that another loan move away from the club with an obligation to buy is a possibility, with Saliba impressing in the heart of the Nice defence during the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Arsenal forked out £27m to sign Saliba from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019, but so far he has only made eight appearances for the Gunners' Under-23s team.