“I don’t think I left for England too early” Saliba opens up on his move to London

William Saliba has again spoken about his time in England and insists that he didn’t join Arsenal too early.

The Gunners signed the defender from Saint Etienne in 2019 as one of the most promising youngsters in France.

They allowed him to continue his development there for the 2019/2020 season.

But when he returned to the Emirates last season, Mikel Arteta did not consider him ready for first-team action at the Emirates.

The Spaniard sent him out on loan to Nice in the second half of the campaign and he impressed.

Yet the Gunners have sent him out on loan to Olympique Marseille in this campaign.

The reason for his loan spells away from the Emirates is because he is not ready for Premier League action yet and needs more outside experience to be better prepared.

However, the defender insisted after his presentation by Marseille that it is not true.

He said as quoted by Sun Sports: “I don’t think I left for England too early. I don’t care about all that.

“I chose OM because it is the right choice. I pushed to come here. We will see what will happen next season.”

Tags William Saliba

29 Comments

  1. I think he would be better off playing in the Premier League rather than France because the PL is faster pace and could use the experience. Just a thought

    1. I can’t work out his motives. Like you I would have favoured the EPL.
      In France he will be in his comfort zone

      1. If Saliba shines this season PSG will certainly
        be sniffing around and quite possibly tempt
        AFC with a reasonable bid for the young
        Frenchmen. His only lifeline in NL is if MA
        is canned before Xmas and the new gaffer
        prioritizes his future inclusion.

        1. Yes. If Saiba succeeds in France Arsenal can choose to bring him over or sell hiim on so its a win win situation. He is young already playing in a big club and post covid the market will almost double in two years time.
          So its a win win for all concerned.

      2. SueP if you had the opportunity to ply your trade in the south of France with Marseille, test yourself against the best in the Champions League or play in the winter cold and rain in the north of England, for say Newcastle United, which would you choose? 🤔

        1. Ozziegunner
          the cote d’Azure definitely but I thought it was about getting WS ready for playing on that cold night in the frozen north and the EPL in general. I am surprised. The whole thing is weird. I understand the benefits of the CL but another year spent in French football – no

    2. @Stephanie
      I always laugh when people claim the EPL is faster paced than other leagues in Europe…🤣😂🤣😂
      If anything, it’s more diverse and versatile than all the other leagues. Faster paced, not by a long shot…

      1. I really don’t get it…if we are done in the transfer market..then we are gonna suffer next season

      2. NY_Gunner, WHY then do you think it is widely accepted that the Prem is the fastest, most frantically paced league in Europe ?

        It couldn’t be by any chance because it is PROFOUNDLY TRUE, DO YOU SUPPOSE!!!

        Some might well “laugh” and with good reason, at your oh so wrong post!
        I challenge you to name even one other European country where the game is so fast! I say you cannot do so, honestly!

          1. To explain WHY is a very difficult question and needs a very long nuanced answer.
            But to explain that it IS, needs only eyes that work and a brain that works too.

            MY EVIDENCE IS IN THE WORLDWIDE INTEREST IN THE PREM FOR SPEED, EXCITEMENT AND PASSION.

            WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU PROPOSE TO SHARE FOR YOUR ODD CONTRARY POSITION? I suggest you have none!

  2. He will leave permanently without ever playing a game for us and go on to be one of Europe’s best. #artetaout

  3. The Premier League is certainly the richest in Europe. Therefor the overall quality is better.
    Liverpool v Spurs then Chelsea v Man City making the CL final a season apart while Arsenal v Chesea then Man U in the EL final a season apart attests to the depth at the top of the PL.
    So perhaps the speed issue is the decision making time is shorter so has to be quicker.

  4. I can only think that Arteta is the only manager alive that would treat Saliba like he has. Should Saliba be loaned out in the prem? Yes of course! Why did Saliba choose France? Because he doesn’t feel like an Arsenal player and he probably thinks its a waste of a year of his life in a foreign country, with no real prospect next season or after of playing. So he has gone back to his native country, where he actually feels comfortable and appreciated. The only hope for Saliba is for Arteta to fail and another top manager comes in and actually rates and plays Saliba. Im still shocked at his treatment. Im still shocked he hasn’t been included in the team/squad this season.

  5. Is it possible that the main problem is that Saliba values his own opinion over that of the coach? Same as Guendouzi. At the very start, Arteta said that his main principle was that every player had to be on board with his ideas. I think this is a very good principle for team success.

    Arteta, just in appearance, often looks to me like a pirate captain. I can see him coming over the side of a ship with a cutlass between his teeth. And he comes from San Sebastian, Spain, a base for pirates in the 16th-17th centuries.

    1. Ok, so why was last season so poor without these (your opinion) players that dont value the managers opinion and aren’t on board. I suppose Willian and Auba were but didn’t perform but thats ok?

  6. The never-ending saga of William Saliba, like an albatross around the neck of the “Teta”. Did he really not expect this to happen? I think we should just nip in he bud: sell the player to Marseille for 30M. Show the world we care about the mental health and well being of our players.

  7. Talk talk talk every Arsenal fan is a coach .The main reason behind Saliba been loan out again is cos he isn’t ready for premiership yet and Arsenal can’t take the risk to throw him straight into premier league so it is better for both parties that he goes out on loan again . At Marseille he will get more playing opportunities and even play in a champions league football and that will give him enough experience and exposure, Arteta has big plans for him and Arsenal so you guys should stop castigating Arteta cos if he fails you fans will still be the ones to call for his head, This Arsenal team is the one he inherited from his predecessors, Wenger should be the one to be blamed cos towards the last four years of his reign as an Arsenal manager he refused to buy some quality players .I rest my case

    1. Out of curiosity, what is the statute of limitations for blaming Wenger? So 2 8th place finishes are Wenger’s fault due to his players?

      So does Wenger get credit for Arteta’s FA Cup using Wenger’s dross players?

      Arteta been in charge for 18 months and Emery another 18 befor that. Nearly all his players have been moved on except the ones 2 managers chose to retain.

      Arteta talked Xhaka and Bellerin into staying, even extending Xhaka with pay raise, they are both on Arteta now not Wenger. Arteta made Chambers starting RB.

      Wenger hasn’t made any decisions for over 3 years now yet it’s still his fault?

      Getting absurd excusing Arteta from his results. A checkbook manager with Midvale results, yet magically still Wenger’s fault.

      So in 2025 we can blame Arteta for his decisions now right?

      1. I DISAGREE THAT ANY SERIOUS MINDED GOONER STILL BLAMES AW. There are of course both the two you list plus Elneny still around , all of whom are rank poor players.

        BUT your point about UE and MA both playing them DOES HOLD WATER, same with Elneny in MA s case.

        So all in all, no blame NOW can be any longer be put at AW’s door. Only less bright fans are NOW and STILL claiming this falsehood to be true.
        My MAIN beef with Wenger over his last decade and more was his inability to get even a half good defence. He used Almunia for three seasons as our main keeper and that was unforgivable to me BACK THEN.

        Since The Invincibles we have not had a good enough defence IMO.

        THOUGH I ONLY BLAME HIM FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN HIS TIME, WHERE DEFENCE IS CONCERNED RIGHT NOW.

    2. I dont get what you are saying. So he is good enough to play Champions league football and every week for a top club in France but not for a mid table team that cant even make the Europa league. Forfanna who played next to him in France and not deemed as good as Saliba (was sold for less money)or as experienced can play a whole season for Leicester (doing far better than Arsenal) and perfom brilliantly but Saliba cant even get a shirt number. Sorry i dont buy your opinion because it doesn’t stack up. Arteta has the problem, a more experienced manager (Rogers) plays a less experienced player in the same position all season, with great success.

      1. Reggie
        I’m sorry my friend but you are too logical and are making too much sense.

        You will only confuse and frustrate those who are emotionally attached to Arteta.

        Can play CL with French team (who wanted him) but “not ready” for Arteta’s midtable mediocrity with Arsenal.

    3. Jeff Lee, Saliba adjudged not to be ready for Arsenal, yet Fofana was ready to play for Leicester City, a team which last time I looked finished ahead of Arsenal?

    4. By the way Admin Martin, Arsenal did not “allow” Saliba “to continue his development” aft St Ettienne “during the 2019/20 season”. Arsenal was required to loan Saliba back to St Ettienne for that season, as a contract condition for his transfer from St Ettienne to Arsenal. If that condition was not met the transfer would not have been agreed. It was a contract condition which had to be met, not Arsenal doing any favours.

  8. Look at the players who have come over from France and have done just fine in the PL.. At least he’ll be playing regular football for a whole season. He’s had a great start, beating Unai and Villarreal. Perhaps he could enlighten us to how that felt upon his return!!

    They have the Ultras – a very passionate/aggressive fan base. At least he’ll be prepared for what some of our lot dish up.. 🙄

    1. And just for the record, I still have doubts over whether we’ll see WS in an Arsenal shirt.. for some strange reason I don’t believe everything that comes out of MA’s mouth…

      1. And its perfectly understandable why you dont believe Sue. Because it hasnt been true in some cases..

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