Arsenal fans are in mixed emotions when it comes to William Saliba, but The Power Coach Nicolas St-Maurice has given a positive update on his mentality and progress.
We have been waiting two years to see our young signing make his senior debut following his signing from St Etienne in 2019, and it remains to be seen whether that time will come next season either.
The initial deal to bring him to the Emirates including a 12-month stay with his former side St Etienne, but that season remained incomplete following the Coronavirus pandemic.
Saliba stayed with the club for six months into the 2020-21 season, only to be left in the Under-23 side, and eventually left to join Nice for the remainder of their Ligue 1 campaign.
Once again, he has been allowed to leave to join Marseille on another loan for the current term, but St-Maurice doesn’t believe that is a bad thing, claiming that he isn’t willing to sit on the bench at this point in his career, and adding that he has the right mentality and focus to make it with Arsenal.
“He’s a very nice guy, very hard working,” The Power Coach told in an exclusive interview with Football.London. “We worked on a number of things such as speed, power, you know he’s a big guy also and he’s strong. When you’re so young and you’re big and strong you aren’t as quick as the smaller guys. We worked a bit on that and he did really well.
“When I first saw him I thought of Van Dijk because of his positions of plays and he has the right potential to make it far. I know a lot of young players I can see that some get distracted when they come to Dubai but he was working hard and he’s got the right environment. William is humble.
“Arsenal fans are annoyed right now because he’s not at the club and he’s doing really well in Marseille but I think last season he missed some games on top of COVID. Saliba needs to play more and he will come good. He does not want to come to Arsenal and sit on the bench – that’s not his mentality. He wants to be playing for Arsenal. I think next season he will make a solid case for himself.”
This is a very positive insight into William Saliba in my opinion, and I’m much more excited about seeing what we should expect from him in the coming years, with that feeling having dulled over uncertainty regarding his continued loan spells away from the club.
Patrick
I doubt we will ever see him play at Arsenal for many reasons. A future top player.
Agreed Reggie ,I can not see him wanting to come back here after how Arteta and the club have treated him ,what a waste if this was to happen.
Still can not see how we couldn’t have made space for him ,seeing we have Mari ,holding ,Cedric, chambers ,Kola all taking up spots while seeing no game time .
You mean all those players sitting on the bench. The bench saliba doesnt want to sit on. Did you read the artical lol
Where did he say he wouldn’t sit on the bench for Arsenal ?
Arteta wanted to loan him out in this country but he wanted to go back to France .
Think you might want to go back over the summer and see what was said ,and not just read Between what ever line the Marseille coach as said .
Its not complicated. He will get more mins on loan. Honestly would have preferred him here and use white money for a CM. There has been plenty said as why he is on loan but it is a FACT he will get more playing time on loan
Good luck getting in before Ben White who the club spent 50M on or Gabriel who is Arteta’s first choice for a LCB.
Except Arsenal makes it to the UCL next season, it’ll be hard to see how everyone would fit in next season.
I didn’t even mention Europa league because I’d rather we stay out of it than be in the shítty league.
Personally I love it, he has to keep doing good and growing, and when he’s here next season. It’s more solid competition for CB spot.
It’s what any elite team needs
Yes I agree Eddie, it’s a difficult situation now.
He could be better than White, we don’t know, but White’s price should secure him a “starting position” for a year or two although it shouldn’t. Should be performance based 100%.
If we played a back 3 it could we be Tomi, White, Gabriel so again he might not be a starter.
I think Saliba will return.
Mari is no where near good enough and will be moved on ASAP
Chambers and Holding are Carabao/EL squadies.
So White and Gabriel are our only really top CB’s.
Saliba “could” be top class so bring him back.
For the 27m fee the club has to bring him back otherwise buying clubs will say Arsenal does not value him and low ball us on price.
Guendouzie only cost 8 mill so recouping his fee will be a lot easier so I do not think Arteta willrisk giving Guendouzie a second chance after their falling out.
I agree with every word you write, as I SO OFTEN DO!
I believe SALIBA WILL BE BACK NEXT SEASON and MARI gone. Holding is a great club man but lacks speed and is short of top quality and obviously so. A squad player at best in fact!
The good thing about it,is that people can now stop questioning the boy’s character,behaviour and commitment and hopefully it is true that he still wants to play for us.
By the end of the season, his agent will certainly be shopping him around. He’s played in three different teams since we bought him and he’s always shown his class. This given that he has to adapt to a new style of play in a short time and yet he’s always delivered. I wonder how he would have been if he had been playing consistently for us since the beginning of last season. We have a quality young defender on our hands who will certainly be a star of the future (I predict a Varane), but the club is allowing the manager’s personal feelings stop us from having him. How much can we even sell him for at the moment? Personally, I would not pay more than £12m with the knowledge that he’s not wanted at North London. He should be brought back to become at least the number one backup defender cos that way, he will surely get minutes in the cups and in case of injury or suspension. We should not lose him. That would be criminal. The situation can be remedied and I think the coach should admit to himself that he was wrong and do what he can to integrate him by the end of the season.
If Saliba has an excellent season, the big boys such as PSG will almost certainly be interested in securing his services.With White and Gabriel now recognised as our first choice pairing, I suspect Arteta would not be averse to selling him for circa £30m.Like some others, I don’t see Saliba ever playing for Arsenal which is sad as he seems a really talented young CB.
£30m? Joke of the season
Saliba situation may be similar to Ramsdale situation. He has to accept that a place isn’t guaranteed, and that it depends largely on White underperforming for a spell, or simply waiting. Emi didn’t accept it by the sounds of things. Arteta wants more competition in the side, hopefully Saliba rises to it
But White was bought to replace Saliba this season, White got his chance Saliba who was bought 2 seasons ago didn’t. I cant see why Saliba would trust or even want to come back. In no way shape or form was Saliba given a fair crack and in my view, incorrectly. Why should he?
The only way Saliba will wear the kit would be if we changed our tactics and adopted a 3-back base formation with Tierney & Tomi on the wings, but based on Arteta’s recruitment decisions, this past off-season, I doubt that this would be in the offing…now if things went south and the Arteta experiment ultimately failed, then I think the possibility of his return would rise exponentially
Seliba will only come back if Arteta is fired. Someone will come in and realise his potential