Former Arsenal man Kevin Campbell has praised William Saliba and compared him to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal signed Saliba in 2019, but they have not used him any competitive match until now.
Instead, he has been sent out on loan on different occasions, and the last one was a resounding success.
The Frenchman did very well at Olympique Marseille and won a league-wide award for his performances.
He returns to Arsenal as a better player and proved his class in some pre-season matches.
The Gunners are now expected to keep him and use him regularly in this campaign.
Campbell is in no doubt that he will shine and brands him a Bentley if Van Dijk is a Rolls Royce.
He told Football Insider: “If Virgil van Dijk is a Rolls Royce, Saliba is a Bentley.
“He is never flustered and his passing is a lot better than a lot of people give him credit for. He is smart, quick, strong, physical, powerful and does not make mistakes.
“I think he needed that extra year at Marseille, if I am honest. I think that has really helped his confidence. Now when you see him play at Arsenal, and I know it is pre-season, he looks mature.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Saliba is clearly a top defender, and he proved that in France last season, and we are now under pressure to get the best from him.
The Frenchman has already proven what he can do against the best players, and we expect Mikel Arteta to give him regular minutes this season, especially if we want to convince him to sign a new deal.