Former Arsenal star Kevin Campbell has tipped William Saliba to become a regular at Arsenal next season.
The Gunners signed him in the summer of 2019 and allowed him to remain on loan at Saint Etienne.
He returned last season, but Mikel Arteta didn’t think he was ready to play for the club.
The 20-year-old has spent the last year on loan at Nice and Marseille.
He has become a key player for the latter in this campaign and should return to Arsenal as a better player next season.
Arteta will decide if he is now good enough to challenge for a place in the team, but Campbell has no doubts that he will stay and be close to a regular starting place in the 2022/2023 campaign.
Campbell said to Football Insider: “Arsenal have to start clearing the decks, definitely.
“Saliba is coming back next season so they need to make room for him. Saliba has been doing so well in France.
“People are saying, ‘The manager doesn’t fancy him.’ But he does fancy him.
“The key is, when he does come back he needs to be given opportunities. He needs to be starting or close to starting. I think that will be the case next season.
“For that reason, a deal for Pablo Mari could be beneficial in the long run. It could help Saliba’s development.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White have become solid defence partners at the Emirates.
However, we need more players who can fill in for either of them when they are unavoidably absent.
Rob Holding is good, but the likes of Pablo Mari and Sead Kolasinac shouldn’t be anywhere near our team
Saliba would offer a great option off the bench next season. Perhaps he can even win a place in the starting XI.
Would love to see Saliba partner with Gabriel as the CB pairing, and move White to the DM position. I think the team would be stronger defensively, White would strengthen the midfield, and free up Partey and Sambi to get forward more often.
Then again I prefer an attacking edge to football, and Arteta seems to favor a more defensive approach to tactics and matches.
It would certainly be interesting to see how BW would fair in a defensive midfield position.
I presume CAMPBELL IS NOW part owner at least of JA. Otherwise, what possible explanation can there be for his constant use while saying nothing of any special intelligence or wisdom?
He MUST have some form of influence on those supposedly running JA.
NO other possible explananation for his constant “pearls of non wisdom.”