Arsenal have reportedly begun discussions over the future of William Saliba, with the Gunners’ board in agreement over their summer stance on the defender.
Saliba was bought by Mikel Arteta ’s predecessor Unai Emery for £27million in 2019, but is still yet to make a senior appearance under either manager.
Instead, having failed to break into either Emery or Arteta’s plans, Saliba has been sent out on a series of loans to St Etienne, Nice and now Marseille.
The Frenchman moved to the Orange Velodrome on a season-long loan in the summer and has impressed under Jorge Sampaoli.
The 20-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions this term, and has started all but one game in Ligue 1 having become an essential member of Sampaoli’s defence.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should Mikel Arteta make William Saliba part of his long-term plans at Arsenal? Comment below.
His performances have impressed Marseille so much that club president Pablo Longoria has stated his intention to pursue a permanent deal for the Frenchman.
“It’s a three-way question. For the player’s owning club – Arsenal, the player, and Olympique de Marseille,” he said last week.
“We have to see our possibilities. He is very good here, we are very satisfied with his performance. William [Saliba] is one of the best young defenders I’ve seen in my career.
“After all, everything depends on the three parties. It’s a matter of market value. But we have extraordinary relations with Arsenal.”
But according to L’Equipe, Longoria is unlikely to be unsuccessful in his pursuit of bringing back Saliba in the long-term.
The French newspaper states that the Gunners ‘now concede’ that Saliba will become hugely important and is the ‘future’ of their defence.
Ben White and Gabriel have become Arteta’s first-choice partnership in central defence this term, though there have been some concerns over errors that have arisen at the back.
That could open the door to Saliba staking a claim in Arteta’s plans when he returns to the Emirates at the end of his loan.
Even if he is still not able to gain regular game-time at the Gunners, it will be very difficult for him to leave the club, as a result of his performances for Marseille.
His starring role in the south of France means that Arsenal can now demand a high transfer fee if any club seeks to sign him permanently.
L’Equipe claim that such a fee will ‘certainly’ be more than the £27m they paid for him in 2019, which is a ‘huge amount’ for Marseille.
Instead, it is likely that they would be forced to attempt another loan move for the Frenchman, though this would also be ‘much more expensive’.
Arteta himself has made it clear that he believes that Saliba will play a part for Arsenal next season, rather than depart again.
“I know that sometimes it’s difficult to explain or understand after the money that the club has spent trying to bring him in, to send him on loan,” he said.
“But a lot of things have happened to him. He’s a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well. And giving him three or four games is not enough.
“He’s very happy to go there now. Hopefully, he can enjoy his football and be ready for us for next season.”
