Arsenal impressed with William Saliba physicality claims David Ornstein
Former BBC reporter David Ornstein has given an update on Arsenal new signing William Saliba. Ornstein is a well-known journalist with great Arsenal contacts and when he speaks it is worth a listen.
According to Ornstein, who now works at The Athletic, Arsenal was impressed with the teenager’s physicality but there are issues.
Those issues have not been revealed but apparently they are of no concern and will be ironed out in time.
Saliba, who is currently on loan with his previous club St Etienne, has visited Arsenal’s training base at London Colney. There the club has been monitoring his progress following a hamstring injury.
The 18-year-old has missed the first seven games of the French Ligue 1 season but featured against Lyon just before the international break.
By all accounts, he put in a strong display in the 1-0 win for St Etienne and is almost back to full fitness.
Arsenal signed the young centre-back in the summer and immediately loaned him back to Saint-Etienne as part of the transfer agreement.
Arsenal will remain in close contact with Saliba and are hopeful that he will fit straight into the Arsenal side next season.
Unai Emery is certainly looking forward to the young defender joining up with Arsenal saying,
‘We’re delighted William is joining us. Many teams wanted him but he decided he wanted to come to us and be part of our future.
‘He will stay in France next season for more experience and then we look forward to him joining our group.’
So, the bottom line according to Ornstein is that Saliba looks good and all is going well.