It may seem strange to think now, but when William Saliba arrived back at Arsenal this summer, his situation was far from certain. The Frenchman had been sent out on loan three separate times after signing from St. Etienne in 2019, and despite being named Ligue 1 young player of the year with Marseille last season, Mikel Arteta admits he still had some concerns that needed addressing in pre-season.
"The first question was how the player is going to reintegrate into our dynamic after being out for so long," the Spaniard told the press ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Bournemouth this weekend. "Is there some frustration there, something personal between, for example, between me and the player because he could not understand that? Or his environment, his expectations coming back or the amount that we paid for him, his age? Is it the same to do it in France as it is to do it in this league for Arsenal because you don’t have 21-year-old defenders at the top level in England?"
With plenty to prove Saliba arrived for the Gunners' pre-season tour of America something of an unknown quantity to the Arsenal coaching staff. However, instead of engaging the 21-year-old in conversation to answer some of his questions, Arteta chose to allow Saliba the chance to let his football do the talking.
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"For the first week I didn’t speak to him," Arteta admitted. "I just wanted to see – naturally, without me really interfering in his thoughts – how he was. Because then you can understand the real him and after that I spoke to him.’"
Since then Saliba has gone on to become a regular in Arteta's side, starting every single one of the Gunners' Premier League matches this season. It has not been all smooth sailing for the young Frenchman who has made mistakes along the way. In just his second league start against Leicester Saliba turned the ball into his own net. For many players of his age this could have seen them crumble, but Arteta feels that the warm reception he has received from supporters and Saliba's own character, have allowed him to recover quickly.
"When he has made mistakes - with the crowd the first time he made a mistake that cost us a goal, the crowd reacted extremely positively towards him," the Spaniard said. "But he is naturally really composed. He doesn’t get too bothered about opinions or getting nervy in certain situations. That’s a big quality."
As well as being popular among the fans, Saliba has also established himself as a favourite in the dressing room due to his personality. "He’s really funny, and he doesn’t want to be funny," Arteta said of how the Frenchman is off the pitch. "He’s really liked around the place. He’s good, he has his aura and presence and always the humour and energy around him. And then he is very focussed and determined to become a top player."
With Saliba having finally lived up to the hype that surrounded his arrival at Arsenal in 2019, the club are understandably keen to hold on to him for as long as possible. Arteta has already admitted that he is positive about the Frenchman's chances of committing to a new deal, and football.london understands that talks are progressing positively after the Gunners opted to trigger a one year extension option that will see his current deal expire in the summer of 2024, around the New Year.
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