The agent of William Saliba has issued an update on the future of his client with his loan spell at Marseille from Arsenal entering its final stages.
Saliba has starred on loan at Marseille this campaign and has been sent out on temporary exits in successive seasons by Gunners boss Arteta. The central defender has been called up to the France international squad for the first time this season and has now earned two caps for the senior squad of Les Bleus.
The latest update comes after Saliba admitted that he was dealt a harsh reality check after arriving at the Emirates, having believed he was ready for first-team action. The Frenchman is tipped for a bright future at the top level but has been loaned out for three successive seasons by Arsenal.
The North London club are now set to hold talks with Saliba’s future, with the player’s agent Djibril Niang confirming that talks between the two parties are imminent. The player will be demanding first-team football next season, but it is unclear if Arsenal will be able to offer that due to the partnership between Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes.
Niang told journalist Freddie Paxton when asked about the future of Saliba: “We still don’t know what Arsenal want to do with William. We will have a discussion about this very soon I think.”
The central defender is currently starring at Marseille having spent the previous campaigns at Saint-Etienne – the club from whom Arsenal signed him permanently in 2019 - and Nice in Ligue 1. Saliba was signed by Unai Emery in the summer of 2019 for £27million but allowed to remain at St Etienne for a further season.
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Last month, Marseille president Pablo Longoria explained his ambitions for keeping Saliba at the club: "It's a three-way question. For the club that owns the player, Arsenal, the player and Marseille. We have to see our possibilities. He is very happy here, we are very satisfied with his performance. William is one of the best young defenders I have seen in my career.
"After all, everything depends on the three parties. It's a matter of market value. But we have extraordinary relations with Arsenal."
Saliba was previously shunned by Arteta, where he played at the Gunners for the Under-23 side before being constantly overlooked for selection which eventually meant he headed out on loan to Nice. He has not yet made a first-team appearance for Arsenal, but has hugely impressed in 47 outings for Marseille this campaign.
