Had a poll been run at the point that William Saliba left Arsenal to join Olympique Marseille on loan to join wantaway Matteo Guendouzi in France, with the purpose of determining fan confidence that the 20-year-old would sign a new contract upon his return I imagine the results would not have been too positive. Saliba’s Arsenal career has been a non-starter for so long that many assumed it was done.
Saliba joined Arsenal in 2019 but the arrival of Mikel Arteta put the breaks on an early entry into the senior setup. The Spaniard decided, rather quickly, that the young defender wasn’t ready.
Mistakes were made in the summer of 2020 and a failure to get Saliba the loan he needed meant he suffered six months of playing youth football. This certainly left him feeling detached and unwanted and his interviews when on loan with Nice showed his frustration.
READ MORE: Arsenal get long-awaited transfer victory over Juventus as £38.4m offer is made for defender
However, reports suggest that fast-forward to 2022 and suddenly the situation has drastically changed. According to reporter Freddie Paxton, William Saliba held positive talks with the club prior to the US tour and has since already agreed to sign an extension with the club.
Mikel Arteta was asked recently about the player’s future and potential new deal. He spoke after the 3-1 win over Orlando in which Saliba came on as a substitute and could not have been more positive.
“We always have a plan and when we have to execute it, that’s a different story and football is a really funny game and we are really happy to have him and you can see the way he’s adapted,” Arteta said. “The way he’s matured and he’s playing well, and we are delighted to have him.”
Should this report bear fruit and the Frenchman confirms his extension with the club, it would be a huge win for the manager. A genuine show of confidence from a player who looked incredibly disillusioned with the Gunners for so long.
There is no timeframe on a possible announcement. Arsenal have been characteristically slow with these processes having even seen Oleksandr Zinchenko sit in the stands with Edu before the announcement of his signing was made official.
However, if and when Saliba is revealed to have extended his new deal it is a massive sign of encouragement that the players are buying into what Arteta is trying to achieve with the club. Doubts remain, and should, whether he can take the club back to the top.
Yet, holding onto talents such as Saliba and convincing the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko to make the switch to north London could not embolden a position of support for the manager more. Work is still to be done with contracts and transfers and the window’s end will provide greater clarity on the bigger picture of where the club stands.
READ NEXT:
Mikel Arteta 'sets timeline' for Youri Tielemans signing as Arsenal's transfer plan is confirmed
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from the Emirates Stadium
Full Arsenal Premier League fixture list for 2022/23
Edu meets with Josh Kroenke as Arsenal’s next signing flies amid late window transfer moves
Arsenal's confirmed team news vs Orlando City as Eddie Nketiah starts and Rob Holding captains
