There are a couple of different ways at looking at the William Saliba situation at Arsenal, but it may still take a few years to figure out if it’s been handled correctly.
There are many fans who are understandably annoyed that the club spent money on a player who’s still nowhere near the first-team despite having obvious talent, but you could also argue that Mikel Arteta is just taking a longer-term view to his development.
Football is full of promising young defenders who were given too much responsibility too soon and they end up losing all confidence and their development just stalls, so if Arteta doesn’t plan to play him next season then a loan move to Marseille might be the best option for him:
? Exclusive: Arsenal defender William Saliba looks set to join Marseille on loan. Not done but 20yo has picked #OM from many options & now clubs need to agree deal. #AFC want him to get full season playing — still part of long-term thinking @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/RemZlyyb5J
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 2, 2021
This will be his third loan spell in Ligue 1 after spells with Nice and St Etienne, but Marseille are a bigger club with some very demanding fans so this could be the making of the young defender if he handles the pressure and does well.
Of course there may be fears that Arsenal are ready to write him off and just want to sell him, but this latest update suggests that isn’t he case at all:
William Saliba (20) has chosen to join Marseille on loan without an option to buy – waiting for OM & Arsenal to conclude the deal. https://t.co/peLuNeCv6o
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) July 3, 2021
If there is no option to buy included in there then it fully suggests that the plan is to bring him back in the summer of 2022 with a view to giving him a chance in the team, but even if they do want to sell him then it still looks like they’ve made the right call.
From Arsenal’s point of view, all an option to buy would do is limit what they could sell him for, and the club would be ridiculed if he had an outstanding year before being sold for less than his market value.
Everything here points to Saliba eventually having a future in Arsenal’s first team, but it will just take more patience than you would expect when you consider he was bought for £27m.
They should forget about bringing him back let Arteta continue wasting Arsenal money dull players such Mari, Runnerson Williams and sending quality players on loan the season may not go half before they show him the that is what he did last season featuring Williams instead of Nicky Pepe is like he has percentage on every player he sign legend like Lampard were sacked talkles of thank Goundoezi is going on loan Arteta may go before him
Arteta is not the coach that will rebuild Arsenal the three persons Kroenke Edu and Arteta are all not qualified to rebuild Arsenal I understand why Kroenke opted for Arteta because he is cheap not that he is qualified for Arsenal job Kroenke is looking cheap coach but when it backfires he will spend more because he who goes for cheap will always be cheated
I just can’t get my head out of the clouds why Arteta won’t give Saliba an opportunity to play for Arsenal.
I’d rather Saliba is loaned to an EPL club than loaned back to the Ligue club, so he’d a of the EPL.
We signed an assistant coach with zéro expérience, promoted to manager After half of season.
Saliba IS way ahead in term of devellopment, playing first team regular at St Etienne 3 years ago.
Many of us unfortunatly seems to ignore or forger that.
Every coach are learning the job in lower League or midtable team to learn the job, make mistakes.
He should be going on Loan 2 years and not Saliba who IS tagged as a mix of Varrane & Ramos.
It IS by adding him go team that he can grow or Loan him in an English team as you perfectly put it.
He’s a rookie coach who seem to have no clue…
Viera IS signing to a midtable team to learn the job. Arteta Comes as an assistant and WE end UP as midtable team two season averaging 11th spot, finishing on a lucky 8th at loser spot with no Europe ..Logic
He’s a rookie coach who seem to have no clue…
Viera IS signing to a midtable team to learn the job. Arteta Comes as an assistant and WE end UP as midtable team two season averaging 11th spot, finishing on a lucky 8th at loser spot with no Europe ..Logic
Good evening man utd regards and thanks for your vailla is out
Arteta will kill arsenal.He has no place for young players except Saka.There are reports he wants to sell Smith Rowe to Villa.How will we overcome this?
Good evening man utd regards and thanks for your vailla is out