AS Saint-Etienne have taken aim at Arsenal in a damning statement expressing their ‘disappointment’ and William Saliba’s after failing to land the ace on loan in time after Arsenal ‘accepted’ an offer.
The French outfit state that Arsenal ‘accepted’ an offer of a season-long loan ‘long before’ the transfer window closed for most of Europe last night.
Saint-Etienne report that the deal fell through as a result of the ‘administrative conditions’ not being met in time on Arsenal’s behalf, adding that Saliba was ‘particularly determined’ to return.
The Gunners signed Saliba last summer for a fee of £27m as per BBC Sport and the French starlet returned on loan to his boyhood club for the campaign as part of the deal.
Here’s Saint-Etienne’s statement in full:
“Long before the transfer window closed, AS Saint-Étienne had reached an agreement with William Saliba and accepted Arsenal’s offer for a one-season loan.”
“Unfortunately, all the administrative conditions could not be met in time, in England, for the finalisation of the file.”
“The disappointment is great for ASSE and William Saliba, particularly determined to return to the club where he had flourished.”
The relationship between the two clubs has soured over the last year, this isn’t even the first time Saint-Etienne have taken aim at Arsenal.
The Ligue 1 side blasted the Gunners for refusing to extend Saliba’s loan last season to allow him to play in the Coupe de France final for his boyhood club.
Saliba is yet to make his competitive debut for the Gunners, with the ace not part of the matchday squad for any Premier League games to date, as well as being left on the bench for two cup ties so far.
Saliba did captain Arsenal’s Under-23s against Brighton a couple of weeks ago. The Frenchman will find first-team football hard to come by due to the sheer number of options Mikel Arteta can call on.
The Press Association’s Mark Mann-Bryans now reports that the Gunners are considering sending the talent out on loan to a Championship side this season.