William Saliba is yet to kick a ball for the senior Arsenal team despite earning praises for his performance at Olympique Marseille.
The Frenchman joined the Gunners in 2019 and has spent only half a season at his parent club since then.
Mikel Arteta has considered him not good enough to play for the club yet and he has been sent out to Ligue 1 on loan twice.
Arteta’s stance could change at the end of this season as the defender impresses for Marseille.
The youngster has become one of the finest centre backs in the French top flight and has been attracting admiring glances from several top clubs, including Real Madrid and West Ham.
However, Defensa Central via Sun Sports insists the former Saint Etienne man will remain at Arsenal.
It claims the Gunners are prepared to include him in their first-team plans for next season.
He has a deal with them until 2024, and he could even get a contract extension.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Considering how much it would cost to sign a centre-back of his quality, you can understand why Arsenal will not allow Saliba to leave.
The Premier League differs from Ligue 1, but Gabriel Magalhaes has thrived in the EPL after moving to Arsenal from the French top flight.
Saliba could make a similar impact if he is given the chance to play at the Emirates.
About time he was brought back, walking all over the club and played 1 pre season game under the unai Emery reign, that’s what a mean about throwing money about waisting it, he shoulda been allowed his time away fair enough his poor mum died I understand but then brought back after a break away to grieve, but the time he’s had away arsenal’s lost out on him learning his roll at the club and getting adjusted to playing in the premiership ,to which I think he would be a great edition and become a top class yound centre back for the future
Saliba has shown more than enough to earn a shot at the starting lineup. A talent like that doesn’t come along often, especially at CB who can be productive for the next decade.
Perhaps moving White could solve our DM issue, and then it would be getting a 3rd or 4th choice CB, depending on how Arteta views Holding.
After spending money on Lokonga and Thomas Party he still needs to solve DM problem while we have Miles, Eleny, Toreira, Guendouzi
Arteta BEST manager
Ramsdale – Turner ✔️
Tomi – ????
Saliba – White ✔️
Gabriel – Holding ✔️
Tierney – Taveres ✔️
CM – Partey – Lokonga ✔️
DM – ????
AM – Øde – Patino ✔️
RW – Saka – ?????
CF – Martinelli – ????
LW – Smithrowe – Pepe?
This is what we will have come the summer plus the CB from America we signed in Jan.
Laca, Eddie, Elneny, Xhaka, Leno, Matteo, Dino, AMN, Soares could all be gone. Pepe undecided yet depends how he does until May.
Defensively we are going to be better when Saliba arrives and it’s near complete apart from a proper DM, Offensively we are very light on all 4 attacking positions (AM, RW, CF, LE) apart from Smithrowe or Øde in the AM or LW postion between them.
UCL will get us the targets we need but let’s hope Xhaka & Laca both step up in maybe their last few months here.
I wish we just got bissouma, lamptey and another creative hole player
First, we need to find out if he wants to re-sign with the club. We shouldn’t be surprised if he elects to run down his contract, opting instead to leave as a free agent. Didn’t he also take a pay cut to go back on loan to Marseille? Clearly, a lot of work needs to be in order to rebuild trust with the player and his agent. Maybe we should just sell him…keep the White/Gabriel partnership going.
Exactly.
If he can be convinced to extend his contract then great, if not he should be sold in the summer.
No brainer.
We have no heart. No conscience. We treated this young man very badly. He took it calmly as a challenge to get better. He has just done that.
He is now in the driver’s seat. It may take a lot of persuasion for him to extend his contract.
We will never learn a lesson. Dusan was offered to us for €2m we declined, Nkuku was available for €15 we didn’t take now €48m won’t buy him
Very poor management of Saliba by Arsenal.
The kid didn’t understand what happened to him, there was no communication and I doubt there ever was any plan at all beyond his first loan spell.
Not sure it will be possible to get him back on board.
We will see
If he won’t sign an extension, which I wouldn’t blame him, i think he should be sold immediately.
Seems to be hot property so sell and reinvest if he won’t sign.
👍
I think Saliba will have more of a say in this than Arsenal. The way he has been treat, the way he feels and the length of contract that will be left, will put him more in the driving seat. He may or may not come back next summer but i think there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. He wont be coming back with a lot of excitement.
He has been treated as he should, going on a loan spells, geting experience and much needed playing time instead of keeping him and giving him several games in a season. He will return as a better player then he would be if he stayed.
Ironic he was deemed “not ready” yet clearly one of the best defenders in French league, and one of if not the best young CB around.
Yet Arteta considered himself “ready” to manager Arsenal; 8th place twice, Arsenal out of European football, (after 20 years), and in a fight to finish top 6.
Highly Ironic I think.