Eurosport says that William Saliba is unlikely to play any first-team football at Arsenal this season, and he will now be sent out on loan again.
The French youngster was signed by the Gunners in the summer of 2019, but they allowed him to remain with Saint Etienne last season to get his transition year before heading to England.
But the French league season was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and he has had to return to Arsenal, perhaps too early in his development.
Mikel Arteta insists that he isn’t ready to play for the club yet because he needs a “transition year”.
The report is now claiming that he will head out on loan probably in the January transfer window.
He has made the Arsenal bench a few times, but he has only seen action in the Under23 games for them this season.
Arteta has shown a lot of faith in Arsenal’s youngsters and Saliba must truly not be ready for him to have struggled to play for the club so far.
The likes of Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka have shown that if you are really up to it, Arteta will trust you with game time.
Saliba will now hope to get a loan team that he will feature regularly for and show what he’s got.
He doesnt need a loan he needs to be registered to play for us. If he is to go on loan then come the summer we have Saliba, Mavraponas, Torreira & Guendouzi all returning and have to be given a chance.
Never know Mikel might not even be here come the summer!
Those 4 above are good players and can be used in this squad. Come summer also we have Mesut, Papa, Mustafi & Luiz whos contracts are all up and will be leaving.
Laca going into his last year and will be sold so a reshuffle is going to happen no matter what. If we sell the 4above and by the way they are playing will bring in funds but imo they could play for us.
I would have Partey & Guendouzi partnered, Away days Elneny in there with the 2 of them. If we go 3 at the back then Saliba Mavro Gabriel isnt a bad way to start.
Never should of sold Martinez imo either. He should of started no1 until he couldn’t do it anymore, didnt show any loyalty to him and that wasnt right.
He is registered to play for us!
Has Saliba played enough to determine he’s”not ready” as Arteta puts it?
Failure to not register him in Europa, even Arteta has admitted that now.
Judging him not ready with no evidence to show as much.
“Not ready” says Arteta as we sit 15th, weeks pass while he scratches his head unable to solve scoring woes.
Saliba really ought to have been registered for Europa.
No disrespect to the competition, but the group stage is meant for players who are not quite ready. There’s no better opportunity to allow young players to prove themselves than that
Winston 100% correct. Europa good enough for Willock, ESR, Balogun, Azeez, Nketiah, but not Saliba?
Something doesn’t sit right with the reasons given by Arteta. Is Arteta fit to determine who’s not ready?
Arteta busy struggling to prove that he himself is ready.
This is one of the most bizarre situations in an ever growing list of similar issues at Arsenal.
Surely Saliba’s transitional journey started when he was loaned back to St Etienne for a whole season.
He completed thìs season with St Etienne with plaudits for his performances throughout the season and moved to Arsenal, who inexplicably didn’t allow him to remain with them to play in their cup final.
However, since making the move to Arsenal he has suddenly and mysteriously become a player who is not up to the standards required by Arsenal, a liability that could not even be trusted with a squad place in the Europa campaign.
REALLY??!!!
I find this very hard to believe especially when we have been relying so heavily on Mustafi, Holding etc who have hardly covered themselves in glory when given the chance.
Something stinks at our club at the moment abd needs sorting out very quickly before it is too late.
Couldn’t agree more…..
Was this just a really bad signing by people who have made a lot of really bad signings or is there something more? It is quite possible, we have a pretty sad record over the past number of years…
Is Arteta really poor at managing a whole team of players? Maybe this is an issue, being on outside it kind of looks like the people management isn’t great – but I am on outside…
Is Arteta really super-stubborn? Maybe, but I don’t know how practice goes – maybe some of the so-called wonder people who will save us are lazy slugs and complainers. Only those on inside would know this – we don’t…
Maybe Saliba is one of those people who doesn’t function well away from a close, comfortable environment? It is possible that he can’t handle the transition – he may get the chance to go back to France and be awesome and just can’t play in England. It happens…
Maybe Saliba is just young and really needs more time to develop? I really hope that this is the case. Some people take a long time to make it…
I bet Luiz and Mustafi are given the chances to prove whether they deserve contract extensions or not, hence Saliba would only play in EPL next season once Luiz or Mustafi leaves
You may be right but we just don’t know what happens on the inside. Based on what we see, I completely agree but maybe he actually is picking the best team for EPL duty?
Don’t misunderstand, I want to see some kids playing because the results and effort is poor. But maybe some of these people are only up to early-stage Europa.
Lets hope that that “soon” doesn’t become an “ever”.
Arteta is showing off his immaturity, with his bias treatment of players Arsenal bought under Emery reign, except for Luis, who,is Brazilian, just like his boss Edu. He demands so much of Pepe (rightly so), who,is new to the premier league, but, ask us to be patient with Willian, an experience player.Arteta is now looking to bring in an 18yr old Spanish defender(Garcia) from Manchester city, who cannot even make it to the sub bench there. Madness. Arsenal already have a 19yrs old (Saliba),who, was voted as one of the best young talents in Europe and started for St.Ettienne, while. Fofana, who now starts for Leicester city was on the bench. There is something behind the scenes that’s not right. Besides, both Chambers and Mari are back ,so,the focus should be to strengthen the midfield with creative players like Aouar, Buendia and Szoboszlai to make the attack better. Arteta, please remember that you are a young and inexperienced coach(in transition period too) and Arsenal have trusted you to manage one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Now, you must do the same and trust some of Arsenal’s brightest talents Nelson, Bolagun, Saliba, Willock, Azeez, AMN and ERS with opportunities to play in the premier league. Your persistence with the experience players isn’t paying off, Arsenal sits at 15th position in the premier league. These guys are playing without passion, as they lack quality and desire. Their tired legs cannot cope with the pace of premier league rivals. Content with huge pension contracts, they don’t care about anything else. You cannot be doing the same thing and expect a different result. It is time to change your guards and strategies. To win matches, the team has to score goals. And, by playing, young talents will gain experience, improve skills and develop their potential. Time is running out on you too,Arteta.