Arsenal defender William Saliba has told his current loan club Marseille that he wants to sign a permanent deal in France.
Saliba has spent the current season on loan at Marseille, where his performances have earnt him the young player of the season award. The French defender has also recently been called up to his countries senior squad, so Arsenal could be looking to keep hold of the 21-year-old.
However, according to RMC Sport, Saliba has sent a message to Marseille expressing his desire to stay in France, rather than return to Arsenal following the end of his loan deal.
A move away from Arsenal could be beneficial to Saliba’s career.
Losing Saliba would be a huge loss for Arsenal, as he is already proving himself to be one of the best defenders in Ligue 1. However, they do have Gabriel and Ben White, so Saliba may actually struggle to break into the first-team if he does stay next season.
This could be the reason Saliba is looking to stay in France, as he’s playing regularly, performing well, and is being noticed by the French national team manager, so there’s little reason motivation for him to move back to England.