William Saliba’s Arsenal career has been a curious one as he struggles to play for the Gunners.
The Frenchman was signed from Saint Etienne in the summer of 2019 and he was allowed to remain with the French side for the rest of the season.
He returned to Arsenal this summer with high hopes that he would break into their first team.
He was even considered the player that will help them solve their defensive problem.
The club also signed Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille in the summer and both players were expected to form a solid centre back partnership at the club.
While Gabriel has hit the ground running, Saliba is yet to play for the club and he wasn’t even registered for the Europa League this season.
There has been talk of him returning to Saint Etienne on loan, but Nigel Winterburn has advised Mikel Arteta to send him on loan to the Championship instead because that will toughen him up.
‘The whole William Saliba situation at Arsenal is a strange one,’ Winterburn said as quoted by Metro.
‘When we signed him, fans were thinking he was going to be a sensational signing for many years to come, but it’s not happened to be like that as of yet.
‘We aren’t fully aware of the issues he has faced since coming to London, but it’s clear to see that he is struggling to settle in his new surroundings.
‘Maybe Mikel Arteta felt that Saliba wasn’t ready for the Premier League, but with all the issues surrounding Arsenal at the moment, it is hard to keep up with it.
‘If he isn’t going to be put back into the squad in January, then he will need to go out on loan and play for another team to get minutes.
‘I would prefer for his loan to be in England as he could go to a team in the Championship and it will toughen him up, whereas if he went on loan abroad, it might make him realise that he’s made the wrong decision coming to Arsenal.’