William Saliba has been given an extra incentive to push for a role back into Arsenal’s team ahead of next season, after Edu’s latest transfer decision.
Arsenal’s January transfer window took a shocking twist on Thursday evening as Calum Chambers was announced as an Aston Villa player on Twitter.
The sale of the English defender has left Mikel Arteta’s side extremely short in the defensive positions, with there only being three centre-back’s that are currently available at the club.
There had been a lot of speculation whether Saliba was to stay at the club in the summer due to his failure to break into the side, but this recent development should confirm a spot for him next season.
Recently the Frenchman told RMC Sport that he found the challenge surprising at Arsenal and expected to be a regular as soon as he joined the club in 2019.
He said: ”Before going to Arsenal, I said to myself I was going to play, I was sure, I was wondering who would play alongside. I arrive, I play zero matches. I played for the under 23’s. That gave me a good slap.”
Saliba has been sent out on loan twice since Arteta took over as Gunners boss which angered sections of supporters as they believed he was ready to be a first-team regular.
In his recent loan at Marseille he has shown the maturity required to be a regular Premier League centre-back, as he has currently played more minutes than any other player aged 20 and under in Europe's top five leagues.
Saliba has proven to be crucial for Jorge Sampaoli’s side and has started every Ligue 1 match since joining the club.
His height and athletic prowess mean he's the perfect build for a defender looking to make waves in the English game, and with a senior call-up to the French national team potentially on the cards, Arsenal must assure him that he has a future at the club.
Despite the success of his loan spell at Marseille, Saliba is still uncertain about his future, as speaking to RMC Sport, he said: “Arsenal? The only thing that I can tell you is that I am happy at Marseille, that is positive. Everything is going well here – there will be discussions in the summer. We have time to think about it.”
Saliba’s future should be more clear after the sale of Chambers, as there is a spot for him at Arsenal next season.
He has shown his quality during his loan moves, and he could be a crucial part of Arteta’s rebuilding process, especially if he challenges Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White for a starting position.
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