There is no doubt that there was a lot of acrimony surrounding the fact that William Saliba wasn’t given an Arsenal squad number at the beginning of this season, and also was left to wallow in London instead of being sent out on loan at least.
The noises coming out of the Emirates were saying that Saliba had missed a season’s development and had some upsets in his life, but when he finally went on loan to Nice he was one of the stars of their seson in the end.
But Saliba was also outspoken about Arteta, saying he wasn’t given a chance to prove himself, and we know very well that the Spaniard clearly doesn’t like players undermining his authority, so maybe the boss has already decided that he won’t be wearing an Arsenal shirt while he is in charge.
The big news about Arsenal’s big money bid to bring Ben White to Arsenal has made me wonder what the plan is with Saliba. As the Arsenal egend said in an interview with CaughtOffside: “I am just hoping that we make big moves this summer and that’s not all about buying £100million players, but adding real quality.
“Ben White looks an amazing player with huge potential. He can pass, defend and looks to be a real leader. I am not sure what the deal with that is, given we have a young Saliba with very much the same qualities. I can’t see us getting White if I am honest, unless they plan to sell one of Holding, Chambers or Saliba.”
I can’t see Arteta selling Holding, and of those three, the only one that could possibly raise the funds to pay for Ben White would be the young up-and-coming superstar Saliba.
I am sure that the big guns in France and Europe will be well aware of how good the youngster was at Nice, and also about the problems with Arteta at Arsenal.
Do you think that Arteta could be right now seeing a big windfall on selling Saliba to the highest bidder to raise money for all his other targets?
Very badly handled by Arteta. The lad probably doesn’t want to come back, i know i wouldn’t. Treat like a leper.
👍, I won’t say he was badly handled but he was protected by Arteta like he protected others 🤣😂🤣. There are some fans here who will explain to you how much Mr Arteta thinks about every players in squad, protecting them guiding them 😜. Don’t worry the way things are going I see Martenelli, Wilock, AMN, Marva, Guendozi and depending on how much Arteta utilise ESR out of the door as well. If I am ESR I won’t sign the new contract at all and see how much opportunities I get in coming season. You never now with Areta he might have a brain fart next thing you know for no reason you have hurt his ego and then you are relegated to bench.
It’s possible. Or maybe Chambers refuses to sign a new contract and will be sold
Or we’ll revert to 3-4-3, hence six CBs will be required
Oh my words
Let’s blame the manager for everything
Some times people we make assumptions based on what we see in front of us and not all the facts
I sympathise for him but as a manager I also sympathise for MA
Anelka is a prime example from the past for us
Great talent but very mixed up. Not everything is always as it seems
If MA is trying bring back the core values of what arsenal is all about then so bit it and ditch players regardless if they have talent or not
The past seasons we have lost that and certain players have lost the for sight of who they have signed for and how they should act
MA has started to move players on who do not feel or want a connection with the club… great .. move on
We only want players and mangers who want to live and breath arsenal
And for that alone we should support his decision and stop bleating on about how badly the player is being treated
Agreed, bro. I just conveyed my assumptions in my comment
Nothing against Arteta, because I see a great potential in him
I don’t think Salina should leave Arsenal under any reason, even if Ben White is secured. I’ll keep Saliba and Ben White (right-sided CBs) and sell Holding and Chambers. Then keep Gabriel and Mari (left-sided CBs). I would have also loved to have Mavropanos around but we know he’s going, otherwise, I think Gabriel and Mavropanos would be good to keep.
I prefer Holding as the right CB and Chambers as the RB, because I saw a great understanding between them that made us the second best English team in 2021. Magalhaes and Mari are both essential to our squad, especially if we will play with two right-footed DMs next season
I feel if their is a way MA can do it he shouldn’t sell Saliba the guy has huge potentials. However, he shiuld be loaned out if he agrees. If Arsenal should sell Saliba with good money we should invert a first buy clause in his contract. We need to have unpredictable defenders injury in mind.
Hopefully Saliba stays to compete with Holding and we can use the budget to buy other player types
I would advise the lad to go out on loan for half a season somewhere ,come back in January when I expect us to have a new manager in charge ,maybe he will be appreciated then .
Wouldn’t blame the lad if he wanted to leave though .
What makes you so certain that he will bensacked by January? What if we are 2nd or 3rd on the table by January, would you still recommend a sack?
We cannot conclusions based on this article because it’s all based on assumptions. The manager has come out to say that the lad will be given a chance next season. I will advice that we calm ourselves and see what the club will do this summer before we criticise even when it is not needed.
Do i see Holding taking us to another level? No. Do I think Saliba is the answer? Not so sure. It’s all based on speculations. I use to think the Ben White deal is a fraud in the pipeline but after putting everything together its beginning to Mae sense to me now. He can play the ball and he’s premier league proven, can play (DM, CB, RB etc) can tackle very well. This makes perfect sense. So let’s just watch and see what happens.
Well after finishing 8th for 2 seasons in a row I don’t hold much hope that he can do any better ,you only have to look at the football served up from him last season with one of the best squads we have had in years to realise that he is not cut out for the job .
And fans have every right to criticise it’s the clubs job to make sure we don’t .
Tell me, Do you think f we had gotten Aouar and Partey as we had planned will we have finished 8th? I’d strongly say no. Do you think he would have gone for Willian instead of an Aouar? I strongly doubt.
My point remains that he’s learning his trade fine. Butbinhabe seen glimpses of what he can offer with the right tools. And that’s looking at the table from boxing day to the last day of the season.
We were 2nd only to city. I want to buldmon this hope. I want to believe he has learnt a thing or two. The board are giving him a chance probably for financial reasons, let’s supposrt him and see the outcome.
Gogo, Dan speaks as he sees not has he foresees. Facts are Arteta has done nothing at all to suggest he can do better. He has and does male grave judgements of error and has cost us points by making bad decisions on the players and the way we play. Dream by all means but dont challenge facts!
What did you expect from a rookie? He didn’t make himself manager. We have the obligation to support him. That’s what I suggest.
Ok gogo but how far do we support him, midtable? Relegation? Championship? Everyone has a limit and we are all different.
I would give him til december
Gogo, where is it written we have an obligation to support him? What are you in about if we keep supporting failures then we have no ambition and no desire to succeed. Owner will say fans are happy so why should he intervene and spend more money to bring in world class manager. Did you see any other top club fans around the world that would agree with your logic and staying behind manager after the disastrous showing last season? What is happening to our fans, first owner then manager now even fans are starting to have midtable team mentality.
Can you stop pretending Arteta was responsible for Emery’s season when finished 8th Dan? You do it repeatedly. If memory serves we were 5th from the moment Arteta took over till end of season that year. The 8th was on Emery clearly. We moved to 4th after the 1st or 2nd game of the next season I believe. Last season was disappointing, please stop pretending Arteta performed badly after appointment. He didnt 5th and fa cup was that period for him personally but too little too late after Emery.
I can’t stop pretending he finished 8th because he did ,that’s a fact.
Also finished 8th in his next season ,out of Europe for the first time In a quarter of a century ,the list goes on and on .
Angus we were 5th when Arteta took over after finishing fifth the season before by one point. Afyer Arteta took over we dropped to 8th then 8th again, there is no pretending just plain fact.
Gogo PSG are now entered the race to sign BEN WHITE they can offer him more than we can
We judge Arteta on new years day.
No excuse then.
Let’s give him 7 months.
Good advice Dan but then I won’t put any faith in Kronke to actually take a decision for betterment of the club, the point where he should have taken this decision was last December but he has not reacted at all that shows he is happy with direction we are going in. I don’t think he will sack Arteta unless there is a mass protest by fans that too if fans are allowed in stadium he does not seem like a keen person to prefer success over money it’s other way around for him he does not want to pay off two managers back to back or actually three mangers if you count Wenger as well.
How sad to see a player treated like they are a dispensable pawn. He is a fine young player and the reasons he is being treated so poorly are not the best advert for the human side of Arsenal management. Having watched some Nice matches, he is as good as any CB we have at the moment and has more potential unquestionably. I hope through good fortune he finds a way into our team. In a couple of years he could be easily worth £50 mill. I though that is what Arsenal were trying to do, buy young players who increase in value. He is 20 years old, and will still at least hold value for 3-4 years.
How was he a pawn in any sense? St Etienne’s antics were on them, Europa League non-registration was mistake but because we wanted him on loan. Also why are you acting like we’re going to lose out on value for a player with 3 years left on his contract? We hold all the cards with Saliba even if we were inclined to sell which I’m not sure we are.
Agree Shaun, the way he has been treated is a disgrace, i do feel Arteta has shunned him from day one and i see no reason why. I dont think Saliba will be at Arsenal next season and if by chance he is, he should play, not be made to sit on the bench losing more value.
This has been a real concern over Arteta’s time as “manager.” How much talent will we lose with checkbook Arteta trying to buy his dream 11.
Nelson never got a look because Arteta had his fascination with Trash Willian.
Saliba and Willock loans showed the problems are with Arteta’s “management” not the players abilities. Both players had big impacts with their teams because Arteta didn’t know how to play them.
Perhaps we need to send Arteta on loan to championship side, he’s clearly not ready, even less so than Saliba or Willock.
Nelson got regular looks in when Arteta first took over. Selective memory there. Honestly people like you think smith-rowe is a title challenge cam despite 2 years on contract and only villa sniffing around. Smith-rowe would be on loan at City/United/Chelsea this year, Liverpool would sell him outright because he doesn’t fit their system. None would have willock at this point hence why Newcastle would be his most likely destination. A sense of reality would be helpful from fans.
Reality is great, like finishing 8th 2 years straight, and yet to consistently display a discernible style of play.
I’m among those who feel not only the players have a lot to prove, but Arteta, Edu, and the Kronkes.
Kronke didn’t want to sell, so get involved personally and show ambition.
Edu needs a solid Summer to show he is more than a rubber stamp yes man for Arteta.
Arteta needs to show he’s learned something; flexibility, more attack minded, trusting his players and not micro manage everything.
Nothing you said changes what I said. Your just going off on different tangents not sure why it’s a reply?
I agree Durand but Pepe suffered more because of willian than Nelson. Pepe was a ready made player sat on the bench while Artetas Willian just jogged about.
I understand now, your selective reality that is. Where Nelson got multiple chances last year, mostly after January right?
I bet you also go on about 2nd best since December and ignore finishing 8th.
Blind faith is your thing, I need progress and results to make a decision.
I heard a rumour than we are very interested in Camavinga – who looks a phenomenal young midfielder and wants to leave Rennes. Offering Saliba would not only bring the price down but also tempt Rennes, as Saliba is very highly rated in France.
We are never told much, but maybe Saliba wants to stay in France. As usual some fans want to make everything that happens Arteta’s fault, but let’s wait and see what happens.
I agree Guy.
Guy well done sir
Guy you are so right, it is Artetas fault and what makes people think Camarviga would be treated any different.
If we could get Camavinga that would be fantastic but he has so many options we’d need him to buy in to our vision. Tough when MSM/social (which he or at least his family/friends do pay attention to) suggest we’re on a never ending downward trajectory. Never happened with United when they spent 3 years out the CL long before we did, then it was always about how they will inevitably challenge for a title again just a matter of how. Think about that next time you see a negative article on Arsenal (not aimed at op, just a general statement.)
Our apprentice is an authoritarian. He ego is beyond imagination
He doesn’t expect you to cry when he beats you.
Once arteta beats you and you let him hear your voice, you will receive a more severe punishment.
The best way to be in arteta’s good book is to keep smiling even while you are suffering.
Mrcool
You talk about beating
If you worked under ferguson, George Graham, clough ect
They would have given you one hell of a beating
As for some players.. they need a damn good beating
I just.meantioned before
We need to get back to basics
The arsenal ways and values
Players who will die for the club
I dont see that in a lot of our players
The modern day players are a bunch of spoilt brats and probably needs a damn good beating
Absolutely no chance
Every club in Europe is after him and have been for the last couple of years ,I’ve heard that Munich is his favoured destination
Reply to guy about camvinga
I believe Saliba will stay and become a mainstay in our defence this season. I also believe that was always MA’s plan and that many of the hysterical comments blaming MA for how he has “mistreated” Saliba are childish and ludicrous.
Jon, Saliba has said he didn’t feel he was treated fairly. He isnt a happy bunny!
Nor are you a “happy bunny” Reggie and many others too but it doesn’t prevent you wanting AFC to win.
SALIBA, unlike you and other Gooner unhappy bunnies is being paid and employed by AFC to follow his contract. He will therefore do as the club wishes if he wishes to keep getting paid.
And he will! Nuff said, now that I have explained the reality to you.
Ok Jon, you are probably right and that is also probably the reason we are struggling in the league and to attract the right players. Arsenal are not a good club to join at this moment if you have ambition and are young. Saliba was treated awfully and anyone who thinks different is wrong. Nuff said.
Saliba made an immature comment that I’m sure he regrets off the back of missing a cup final because st Etienne wanted us to pay them for the privilege. Doesn’t mean he hates Arteta like some infact Arteta is well respected in the inner circles both at Arsenal and the wider football community.
Really Angus!
Big money for a player that could not break into the team and does not get along with his manager? Unlikely.
Arsenal paid 27-28 million. They will be lucky to get 20 million for him if they sell this summer. That will not buy Ben White or any other player better than what Arsenal already have on the roster.
Of course, 20 million now is better than yet another long, drawn out player/manager pissing contest that ends with the player leaving on a free in two years; something Arsenal seem to be specialists at recently.
Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Ozil, Maitland-Niles, Wilshere, Reine-Adelaide, Szczesny, Mustafi, Mkhitarayan, Sokratis, Torreira, Koscielny, Reiss-Nelson, are all players that, for one reason or another, fell out of favor and Arsenal held on to, and either have already lost for nothing or a fraction of their worth or are about to.
This shows a lack of professionalism in the personnel management department and the manager.
Take Ozil as a case in point. Even if the lies Emery, Arteta and the club told were true (they aren’t); why would the club not put him in the shop window in domestic cup competitions and try to move him to a club he would accept and save some of the money they were spending on him? The management were so determined to make Ozil the villain they wasted tens of millions. Ozil got every penny of the money he was guaranteed (about 60 million), the club desperately missed his attacking creativity, and he moved on for nothing.
Man United did it with Alexis Sanchez (by far the worst buy in modern football history). They club subsidized his move to Italy, got a disgruntled star out of the dressing room, and saved millions. Sure, the transfer cost them a huge sum in wages paid to a player playing for someone else; but since the club decided he would not play (as Arsenal did by not including Ozil in the squad for the league or Europe) they were already going to lose that money. Man United fans, and more importantly, the active players forgot about Alexis, and the club moved on. The other thing to note was, Man U management never slated Alexis. They were always; he’s a good player, he trains hard, there’s competition for places, blah, blah, blah. The club did not undermine his move by saying he was lazy, he was left out for footballing reasons, or other things that shamed and devalued the payer they were trying to move on.
At Arsenal Ozil lurked like a vengeful ghost, and he humiliated the team in training because no matter what the club said in public, the team saw that he was better than the players sent on the pitch ahead of him when he dominated them in training, and in the media, (like when he paid the Gunnersauraus’ salary when he was made redundant).
Madrid did the same thing with Gareth Bale. They got a big ego and divisive personality out of their dressing room by financing his move elsewhere. They saved some of his salary, and the player and club began to mvoeo n. Not Arsenal. They clung to Ozil like a vengeful toddler not allowing a sibling to play with a hated toy; determined to ruin his career out of spite.
The Saliba saga is following a similar path. Arsenal are about to spend 50+ million on a center back when they have six quality center backs on the roster (the team had the third-best defense in the league – you cannot say they did it with bad defensive players) Saliba has been outstanding for Saint-Etienne and Nice.
There is no footballing reason why Saliba should not have a chance to prove himself at Arsenal. This is a pissing contest, pure and simple. Arteta’s inability to man-manage difficult personalities shows how little he learned from Guardiola or Arsene Wenger, as well as how inept the personnel department are. If he cannot play at a high enough level; move him on, quickly and decisively. If he succeeds elsewher,e ignore it.
Look at Chelsea. They had both Kevin DeBruyne and Mohamed Salah on their books and let them go for peanuts. Does Chelsea management spit bile at them? No. Do they tear their hair and moan ‘woe is me?’ No. They simply ignore it and talk about their own players. That’s professionalism.
Arteta and company could use a lesson.
Arteta’s management of the youngsters have been very poor. He has not shown confidence in the academy players. This lack of trust has resulted in the lack of opportunities to play in the premier league, which stifles their growth and development and leaving them frustrated. As a rookie coach, who needs to transition in the championship, Arteta has been dependent on the senior players, who have failed him miserably. Let’s hope that this season Saliba, Willock, Bolagun, Azeez and Nelson will be given their fair chances to play for Arsenal . Arteta should take a page from the books of the managers Nice and Newcastle in particular, as to how he should use Willock and Saliba ,instead of persisting with Willian and Mari,both of whom must be sold now for anything.
As far as am concerned Arteta is the manager. I want saliba to be given a chance but I won’t waste my energy whining. The writing is on the wall… Arteta doesn’t rate him
Another thing… there is this feeling I mostly get when arsenal are targeting a player… Kind of like an instinct. Trust me,,,, Ben white will be an arsenal player
If he isn’t going to be used and we can get good money then we should take it.
I am not saying that would be my course of action but if Arteta really has his mind made up then take the cash.
How Saliba and the rest of this summer’s business goes down will truly tell us if we are building or crashing in flames like a zeppelin.
I really hope that we are building but…
Off topic.. watch out Embolo of Czech republic
Over the final 2/3 of last season, Arsenal’s record was second only to Man City. Arteta doesn’t play youngsters until he thinks they’re ready, but we ended the season with two exciting and dependable youngsters playing leading roles: Saka and Smith Rowe.
Fans demand we play youngsters, but scream if we don’t win. Since Christmas last year, we have won. I want to see the youngsters, too, but let’s give credit where credit is due and see if the positive trend continues this coming autumn.
A statement of intent would be a bid for verratti … the kind of quality in the middle of park we desperately need … as for the plodding welsh wizard … no thanks
Arteta did not recognize how good Saliba and Willock really are otherwise he wouldn’t have brought Willian etc neither would he have sent them on loan……..neither is he good in man management…..he cannot contain players of big egos……
We’re not selling him, he might go on loan with a recall clause that’s it. His comments were immature but not devastating. He was annoyed he only got two training sessions, to which I would say do you really think every minute of your loan wasn’t watched? Or that Arteta himself didn’t watch the video prior to your 1st training session? Obviously Arteta and the scouting team had concerns he wasn’t ready and his two training sessions confirmed their suspicions.
Not registering him for the Europa and then not loaning him was a big mistake. Although unless I’m misremembering he was due to go back to St Etienne and they played games with us again so it fell through. Anyway nothing to be concerned with going forward imo.
Loan Saliba out to Newcastle, then when Arteta been sacked new manager brings him back. In all honesty this young lads a real talent and we will kick our selves in the future if we sell him, the Kronkes new philosophy of buying young turning them into top stars then selling on for big money wont work in this case must be kept for this season, and for Arteta to give Saiba a clean sheet. White Saliba Tierney Arrons, that’s a good future poss?.
Don’t agree with sacking Arteta (unless results really are terrible) but yes he can go on loan (EPL) with recall clause far better than rotating in and getting lambasted by our fanbase when he’s not Tony Adams incarnate because he’s still 20 (this is the same fanbase that did not want error-prone stones last year when rumoured, he won the league with regular game time.)
Ben White is a very good player, and a very good buy. He’s actually an English player worth the hype.
However, this should mean the end of Holding, who is not good enough and never will be. Saliba, as a ball playing CB with a high ceiling, should be retained at all costs.
Arteta’s fascination with him has to end or the same short forwards will keep beating him for headers in the box next season.
A rotation of White, Saliba, Gabriel, Mari, Chambers is good and gets us up the table.
Chambers has 1 year left so more likely thanks holding to go. Holding was reliable last year too so that makes him backup to white minimum. Can see keeping Saliba to train/backup rotate and then loaning him absent injury in Jan given last year though a year loan with recall clause seems sensible (might get annoyed benching.) We’ll see
I’m still struggling to understand why Arsenal will go and fork out 40-45m for a CB who is still far from the finished article when other critical areas are crying for attention with the meagre resources available for player purchases.
I thought fared reasonably well during the many spells of Luiz’s absence last season So I thought we could just do well by bringing back Saliba into that back line while investing scarce funds in areas of more critical need – a support LB, a Ceballos replacement, a no. 10, and another DM if Xhaka is leaving.
Anyway, I’d like to wait and see what really happens. The decision makers obviously know more than I do
He fills the hg quota (why we pay more and literally everyone does) but more importantly he’s better than holding.
He’s better than our cb’s and we have more dedicated to cam. We’re not scarce we have an insane amount of players for sale, a large gap in the wage budget once they go and owners that realise now is the time to invest. We have a sizeable budget this year. Just attracting the right people now. This is also why the Buendia story was nonsense we could of paid 60 if we wanted for him, we didn’t.
On what grounds is white better than our current cbs? Please I would love to know. We have an insane amount of players up for sale but strangely enough none are leaving. How many do you realistically think will leave? Knowing only Xhaka has received a bid which still hasn’t been accepted so far. Why do you think we bid lower than the asking prices for all our targets currently which got rejected and haven’t went in hard with respectable and acceptable bids if we really were serious about buying? We have a sizeable budget (reportedly) after all, and I remember Wenger low-balling teams just to say he tried. 3 questions, I’ll be eagerly awaiting your answers
Sims, your clear eyed sanity fills me with hope for the footballing nous of the average Arsenal fan.
Thank you Joe. It is difficult sometimes because we want the club to do well, so we’re tempted to give them the benefit of the doubt in the hope that we’ve learned from our past mistakes. But at some point we have to question the decisions being made at the club.
If Saliba is worth big money, and if Arteta is so desperate to get Ben White, why not tempt Brighton into a swap and add a few shekels. Just a thought.
My preferred CB group would be a rotation of
Holding, Saliba Gabriel and Ben White if Edu stumps up the money for him.
If we need, thru injuries say, an extra player for a back three, then Tierney would be my choice.
Maybe we could swap AMN, Mari and Chambers, for Bissouma and a few shekels.
There seem to be lots of options available – but, as usual, nothing is happening
I notice that Arsenal are off to Florida for a mini pre-season tour in July, as well as two games in Scotland.
It would be nice to have our transfer business done by then.
We don’t know the ins and outs of things, everybody on here could be right or wrong
The bit that I don’t get is why some Arsenal fans think Saliba has been treated badly when he has never even played for us in a competitive match but we can treat Arteta badly ourselves when he is our current Manager, I just don’t get it
If Saliba is playing well in France why is letting him do that for a bit longer treating him badly?, the guy is 20 years old and French, he might just not be ready to move to a new country and be under immediate pressure to perform, time is on his side
If Arteta and Arsenal in general are anywhere near as bad as people on this site seem to think Arteta is doing Saliba a favour keeping him out of it rather than treating him badly
I still believe that Saliba is one for the future and personally look forward to seeing him play in a red & white shirt, whether Arteta is part of that future is fairly irrelevant to the Saliba debate at the moment, if he is it means we have done well and Saliba can come in and make us even better potentially
Saliba was bought for the future, Partey was bought for right now and at the moment I am more concerned about him than either Arteta or Saliba to be honest
So you think stopping the lad playing in a cup final, denying him a europa place, not registering him in the league and not giving him a shirt without telling him prior, isnt treating him badly. It didnt happen to anyone else.
Nobody else was in the same situation Reggie, he was already on loan before Arteta arrived and therefore the Cup Final happened, I don’t think he could have brought him back for that if he wanted to, if he had he wouldn’t have started and we won it without him
Not sure why not playing him in the group stages of the Europa was treating him badly and as I said we don’t know the ins & outs of who said what to who and when
The kid himself said he felt he wasn’t given a fair chance, and likened being at Arsenal the same as being in jail.
I don’t think Arsenal will sell their William Saliba this summer window. But they will name him in the club’s 25 man squad for next season’s campaign to keep him in the team squad for option and to cover in the Arsenal PL games next season. But when Arteta thinks it’s appropriate to play him.
So therefore, let all the agitating Gooners for Saliba who want to see him play for Arsenal in the PL next season try to calm down and remain calmed down in their agitation.
For, as Arteta was quoted to have said, Saliba will be given his chance to play for Arsenal next season’s campaign in the PL to see if can impress to command a regular starting spot in the team as a centreback pairing at the heart of the Arsenal defense-line will be reminded of what he has said if at the end of the day he failed to honour his words.
But notwithstanding, Arsenal can sell William Saliba this summer for a big money move if they receive an offer for him that they can’t refuse to accept but accept it. And then use the money accrued from his sale to help reinforced the team with top quality grade new goalkepeer, CB, AMF & striker’s signings this summer more so if Bellerin is offloaded this summer.
How strange to buy one of the most sought after CB’s in Europe and then not use him at all. Not an iota. Anyone who has seen him for Nice last season will know he is quite a player. His back up at St Etienne was Wesley Fofana who is now first choice at Leicester. It’s disconcerting to see that for me, because Saliba looks better than anyone of our present CB’s. I hope he gets a chance this coming season, but I have a suspicion he is being ignored for non footballing reasons.
“non footballing reasons” Sean?
What’s your theory?
As so many players have been linked with Arsenal in the media for signings this summer, but with Ben White and the failed Buendia bid links looking to be the only true links among the lots. I think for us Gooners to know the direction that Arsenel are taking in this summer transfer window in regards to the incoming signings. Us might need to wait for Mikel Arteta when he holds a press conference in the US for Arsenal pre-season mini games tour there. During which the media will ask him variety of questions more especially on Arsenal transfers this summer. And from his answers to the journalists questions put to him, us could start knowing the clarity of Arsenal transfer plans on the ins and outs this summer.
But if Arsenal truly had submitted a bid for Ben White, it can only mean that they’ve made up their mind they want to sign him. And I think it was in the media too that they’ve also submitted a bid to sign one other new player. And if this report is also true, us might read to learnt that Arsenal have returned with an improved 2nd bids to sign these 2 new players whose bids for could be accepted by their selling clubs. Or else Arsenal may leave pursuing the signings of the 2 new players if their improved 2nd bids for them are rejected. This I think it’s because Arsenal hardly returned with a 3rd bidding to sign any new player who has no release clause fee inserted in his contract that they activate if they want him badly. e.g. Thomas Partey.
For big money, no. Arsenal have done literally everything to ruin the value of the player.