William Saliba continues to be linked with a move away from Arsenal, with the youngster reportedly stating that he is keen to stay at Marseille following a successful loan stint this season. The Gunners splashed out £30million to sign him from Saint-Etienne back in the summer of 2019 but he is still yet to make a single first-team appearance for the club.
football.london reported earlier this year that the north London outfit are planning discussions over a new contract with the 21-year-old come the end of the current campaign, although it still remains to be seen what the player's stance will be. Saliba has been an ever-present under Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli and his impressive form at the Stade Velodrome hasn't gone unnoticed, earning himself Ligue 1's young player of the year award as well as his first cap for the French national team.
He now appears to have spoken of his desire to play with Samapaoli's side again next season. Speaking following Marseille’s 4-0 victory over Strasbourg, he reportedly told GFFN, he said: “I want to come back and play the Champions’ League. I have never played in it and I want to discover it here.”
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And he has previously given a similarly coy five-word verdict on his future plans. Speaking to RTL, via The Daily Star, a few months back about his Arsenal future, he said: “I prefer not to speak about my future," before adding "but I’m very good here [Marseille]. I don’t regret my decision. I have been very happy since day one. I have one year here and I am going to give my all.”
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was previously questioned about the young defender's future at the Emirates, admitting that the club always keep in touch with players out on loan.
“Yes, as a club we are always in touch," the Spaniard said back in October of last year after the Frenchman's outstanding performance against Paris-Saint Germain. “Edu and Ben [Knapper, Arsenal loan manager] were there to watch him and keep a close eye on him, the progress he’s making. He’s obviously our player and we do that with all the loan players that we have."
