Arsenal defender William Saliba has reportedly informed Marseille of his desire to remain with the club despite being backed for a prominent role with the Gunners next season.
The Frenchman joined the French side on a season-long loan at the start of the campaign and has certainly impressed at Orange Velodrome. He has accumulated 51 appearances in all throughout the season and ahead of the final league game of the season, has appeared in all but one of the side’s Ligue 1 matches this season.
Saliba’s form has certainly been a key reason behind Marseille’s push for a Champions League place, as well as having reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals. His displays have also seen him backed to play a prominent role at Arsenal next season upon his return to the Emirates Stadium.
Despite that, Saliba has reportedly expressed his desire to return to Marseille next season. According to French outlet RMC Sport, the centre-back has told the club hierarchy that he wants to remain, whilst manager Jorge Sampaoli has also indicated his priority to keep Saliba at the club.
It is suggested that another loan deal could potentially be on the cards, whilst Marseille are keen to include an option to buy should they be successful in finding another agreement with Arsenal. Reports also suggest that a deal could be easier to find should the French outfit qualify for a Champions League place on the final day of the campaign.
It of course remains to be seen whether a deal is completed in the summer but Saliba himself has already hinted that he would be happy to return to Marseille. Speaking earlier this month, he said: “My wish is to finish the season well, to leave on a good note in case I don’t come back.
“It would be my pleasure to come back no matter what, it’s not as if I know I’m not going to come back, it’s Marseille, it’s my club.”
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Should Saliba quit Arsenal on a permanent basis then he could potentially wave goodbye to the Gunners having never made a senior appearance for the north London club. He was signed from Saint-Etienne for a £27m fee in the summer of 2019 before rejoining the side on a season-long loan deal.
Having failed to make his breakthrough in the following campaign, he was allowed to join OGC Nice for the second half of the season. He performed relatively well before being sent out on yet another loan deal - this time with Marseille.
Saliba’s contract with Arsenal is set to expire in the summer of 2024 should he leave the club, then that would leave the Gunners with limited options at centre-back. Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White are Mikel Arteta’s current first-choice - albeit the former having been linked with a move to Juventus.
