French football expert Jonathan Johnson has provided some exclusive insight into why Arsenal defender William Saliba might not yet be fully trusted by France manager Didier Deschamps.
Saliba has been a key player for the Gunners since returning to the club after a few loan spells last season, instantly becoming one of the most important players in Mikel Arteta’s side, and firmly establishing himself as one of the top young players in the world.
The 23-year-old hasn’t yet managed to get much playing time for France, however, winning 13 caps for his country but rarely starting for Les Bleus, while Deschamps spoke publicly about his issues with the player recently.
According to Johnson, speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Saliba may be struggling to win over Deschamps because of issues relating to his qualities away from the pitch, rather than anything to do with his technical ability.
Saliba is clearly a world class player, but Johnson notes that other big names have also previously not been selected by Deschamps as he’s had to work hard to create a more cohesive group in the French international set-up.
Saliba: How can the Arsenal defender earn his place in the France XI?
Discussing Saliba’s struggles at international level, Johnson said: “Part of what I think Deschamps is getting at with Saliba is that there are some moments where his judgement isn’t the best, and his decisions seem a bit rushed, leading to the wrong choice at the end. It reminds me of Aymeric Laporte, who was so often overlooked by France, eventually leading to him choosing to represent Spain instead, much to the bemusement of many fans and pundits alike.
“These decisions are not entirely technical, some of it is to do with players’ personalities. What some people lose sight of and perhaps take for granted is the amount of work Deschamps has had to do to turn France into a really united and strong team. In order to do that sometimes he has to sacrifice talented players who aren’t necessarily a good fit for the group.
“That’s not to say Saliba isn’t a good fit for the group, but it could be that where Deschamps wants him to improve is more with what he does away from the pitch, rather than on it. I think Saliba can force his way into Deschamps’ plans because some of the players ahead of him, like Dayot Upamecano for example, are not that convincing when they’re given the chance. Then Ibrahima Konate at Liverpool isn’t always guaranteed to be fit, so there are some gaps there.
“I just think Saliba needs to show the same kind of maturity and professionalism off the pitch as he has done off it since returning to Arsenal after a couple of loan spells.”
It seems surprising that Deschamps may have spotted an issue that Arteta hasn’t, but this could be an interesting one to watch ahead of this summer’s European Championships.
He already showed his quality in english team. As many people saw him as best play. For me, i think france doesnot used him in good ways.