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William Gallas has weighed in on the possibility of Arsenal signing Diego Costa as a free agent, suggesting that while the former Chelsea striker might initially provide a boost, his arrival could ultimately lead to conflict with manager Mikel Arteta.

With Arsenal facing an injury crisis in attack exacerbated by Kai Havertz’s latest setback Arteta recently hinted at the possibility of signing a free agent to reinforce his squad.

Havertz suffered an injury during Arsenal’s training camp in Dubai, leaving the team with only three recognized forwards.

Speaking on the matter, Arteta acknowledged the club’s need for reinforcements. “We explore every possible situation and make a decision from there,” he said. “It has to be someone who can play at our level, someone who can support and impact the team.”

Costa, 36, has been without a club since leaving Brazilian side Gremio last year, but his experience in the Premier League where he scored 52 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea makes him an intriguing option.

Despite his impressive track record, Gallas, who played for both Chelsea and Arsenal, doubts that signing Costa would be a wise move.

“Diego Costa is a free agent and he’s a big character that can be good for lifting the squad,” Gallas told Slingo. “However, I could see him clashing with Mikel Arteta. He won’t fit in with the mood at the club, and I think it would go the wrong way, even though they need a striker.”

Gallas also suggested that Costa’s strong ties to Chelsea could prevent a move. “Chelsea fans would be gutted. I actually think he would turn down the move because of his history there and how the fans would react,” he added. “He’s of a different generation, and I think it would be hard for him to fit in.”

Arsenal’s current attacking concerns were evident in their recent game against Leicester City, where Arteta resorted to deploying Leandro Trossard as a false nine before pushing midfielder Mikel Merino up top. The gamble paid off, as Merino netted twice in a 2-0 victory that kept Arsenal in the title race.

With a lack of natural strikers, some have suggested alternative solutions. Gary Neville criticized Arsenal’s squad planning and hinted that Arteta could even experiment with playing Declan Rice in a more advanced role.

“They knew at the start of the season that they were short at centre-forward. This could have always happened, and now it has,” Neville said on Sky Sports.

“I thought Rice might be pushed forward, with Jorginho and Partey deeper. But it’s ended up being Merino playing further up the pitch, and it worked.”

Arteta now has only a few days to decide on his best attacking setup before Arsenal face West Ham in their next Premier League clash.

Whether the club turns to the free-agent market or continues to adapt with their current squad remains to be seen.