William Saliba has played more minutes this season than anyone else in Ligue 1.
Marseille are going to finish runners up in the French League, qualify for the Champions League and are in the Semi Final of the UEFA Conference League.
We could be left with an embarrassing situation, whereas while we go a season without a trophy, three players on loan win silverware (Hector Bellerin lifted Copa Del Rey at the weekend).
Like his Arsenal teammate Guendouzi, a short term move to France has led to Saliba earning his first international cap.
So, it’s safe to say the loan has been a success.
If your good enough to play for the World Champions, surely you can make one of the worst Arsenal squads in decades?
Yet it’s still not clear if the 21-year-old’s development is a priority to Mikel Arteta?
The Gunners used to sanction loan moves as part of a youngster’s progress but recently have used that market as a way to get talent off the wage bill.
If the defender’s three years back in his homeland were designed as preparation to prepare him for life in England, then surely, he would have been told?
Instead, his agent has admitted all parties need to sit down soon to discuss his client’s future in North London.
As a teenager he moved to the UK genuinely thinking he would be competing for a first team spot at the Emirates.
While at first it seemed his employers were trying to protect him during COVID, keeping him near loved ones after the death of his parents, it quickly became clear he hadn’t been consulted.
Marseille’s president meanwhile has indicated he does rate the centreback and is willing to negotiate if our manager doesn’t.
My biggest criticism of the Spaniard is that he’s been taught it’s okay to just give up on talent the second he feels they don’t suit his ethos.
To me, a great boss gets the best out of the resources he has. That was meant to be his strength at Man City.
Arteta has shown he couldn’t care less if his employers invested 27 million on an asset.
Yet it would go down as one of the biggest wastes of money in our history to spend that much on someone who never got to kick a ball for us.
Either Arteta for not getting any usage out of a talent or a scouting network suggesting a player not ready for this level, someone needs to lose their job if this lad never plays for us.
They won’t, because our owners won’t know who he is.
Should Saliba be playing in an Arsenal shirt next season?
Be kind in the comments
Dan Smith