Arsenal centre-half William Saliba is having an excellent campaign on loan at Marseille, with the French club continuing to push hard to cement a place in the Champions League next season.
Under the stewardship of Argentinian manager Jorge Sampaoli, Saliba has been operating at right centre-back in an often chaotic system but has maintained strong levels of consistency both with and without the ball.
As a result, the impressive performances delivered have been rewarded with a call-up to the French national team for the upcoming friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa, where Saliba will hope that Didier Deschamps hands him his first cap.
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With regards to the former Saint Etienne prospect's future in north London, many would argue that it remains uncertain, especially when considering that both Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed an excellent partnership at the heart of the Gunners' defence.
Hypothetically speaking, if Saliba were to be sold, he certainly wouldn't be short of options according to The Athletic, who state that the Frenchman has suitors in France, England and Spain.
It would, however, be a massive shock to see the 6 ft 4 in defender leave his parent club this summer, especially when considering that he was a £30 million investment and is still yet to be given a single first-team opportunity.
Not to mention the fact that he is one of the most promising central defenders in Europe and is capable of slotting into a number of positions, such as right-back and at left centre-back, which is the role he was primarily given during his time on loan at Nice last season.
This makes him a very desirable option for Mikel Arteta, who is an advocate of positional play, a style of football that requires individuals to show an abundance of versatility.
Furthermore, with the Gunners very likely to be participating in Europe next season, the related increase in fixtures means that it's imperative that Arsenal have more than two top quality central defenders and there will definitely be plenty of opportunities for all three of White, Gabriel and Saliba.
