Paris Saint-Germain are likely to keep on monitoring Arsenal defender William Saliba in the near future, but a transfer deal would be complicated for a variety of reasons, according to French football expert Jonathan Johnson in his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
Saliba has become a key part of Mikel Arteta’s team this season, forming a superb partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, and one can easily imagine PSG would love to have a top young French player like that in their ranks.
Johnson explained that Saliba actually grew up in a similar part of Paris to Kylian Mbappe, so there’s an obvious connection there, but for the moment he expects the 22-year-old’s future lies at the Emirates Stadium.
This is particularly because of Arsenal’s success this season, which will surely only make it harder for even a big club like PSG to lure him away, while another reason may be that there is likely to be better value elsewhere in the market.
A third reason could also be the success Saliba enjoyed with PSG’s bitter rivals Marseille during his loan spell there last season.
“I’m aware there’s been some talk of PSG having a long-standing interest in William Saliba, and it makes sense that he’s someone they’re likely to keep an eye on, but it’s looking highly likely that his immediate future lies at Arsenal. He’s really come into his own in Mikel Arteta’s side and is starting to establish himself as a French international under Didier Deschamps ahead of Euro 2024,” Johnson said.
“Saliba obviously has Parisian roots, he comes from Bondy, the same place as Kylian Mbappe, so that will appeal to the French champions. However, one complicating factor with Saliba that shouldn’t be underestimated is that loan spell with Marseille that he had – a very succcessful one at that, and I think that will stay fresh in the memories of some PSG fans.
“I think PSG, like a lot of top teams, will keep a close eye on Saliba, and see if an opportunity comes up, but given the amount of money it would now take to prise him away from an Arsenal side who could be on the verge of winning the Premier League title, it seems unlikely to me at this moment in time.
“While Saliba is clearly an exceptional talent, there is perhaps better value on the market at this time, for example with Evan Ndicka at Eintracht Frankfurt, who also comes from the Parisian region, and who wouldn’t cost the kind of transfer fee or wage packet that Saliba would command.”