Arsenal loanee William Saliba has won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season award for the 2021-2022 campaign. It comes after an impressive stint at Marseille, where he has been recognised for his performances at the club.
The 21-year-old has played nearly every minute of the league season for Les Olympiens, keeping 13 clean sheets over 36 appearances. He has helped the side reach third so far, level on points with Monaco in second, the final Champions League spot, with one game left to play and just four goals separating the two.
The Frenchman's displays earned him a senior national team call-up too, making two appearances for Les Bleus back in March. It's no small feat, with the loan move clearly working wonders for his progression.
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However, when the season is over, the youngster will have to return to London with Arsenal, where his deal runs until 2024. Despite signing for £27million from Saint-Etienne in 2019, Saliba is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners, having had loan spells at his old club as well as OGC Nice and Marseille.
Talks are likely to commence in the summer over the future of the defender, with duo Ben White and Gabriel the current first-team pairing. Amid such talks, the Frenchman has already discussed the future, claiming his current loan team are his club: "My wish is to finish the season well, to leave on a good note in case I don't come back. It would be my pleasure to come back no matter what, it's not as if I know I’m not going to come back, it's Marseille, it's my club.”
Manager Mikel Arteta has tried to shut down talks over a move away this summer, saying back in March: "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. 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."
It remains to be seen exactly how the saga will play out, however the next few months will be an indicator of his future, with the summer transfer window rapidly approaching.
