Arsenal will welcome back William Saliba to the club this summer after completing his third loan deal since signing with the Gunners back in 2019. There was much controversy surrounding the young defender after it remained uncertain whether he would indeed stay with the north London side.
However, the Frenchman put nerves at ease from an Arsenal perspective after coming out and confirming he wanted to show the fans what he is capable of. Words which will come as a relief to manager Mikel Arteta who himself has expressed his desire for Saliba to return.
"I belong to Arsenal. I still have two years left. I will be back with Arsenal. I have played zero matches, and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club,” he said speaking with Julien Maynard on the French television station.
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However, the impact of his return is beginning to become clear. With one more central defender in the squad, it has created further obstacles for other prospective talents.
Goal reports that Daniel Ballard is expected to be sold this summer after a successful loan spell with Millwall. It looks as though Sheffield United could be the beneficiaries of this with Yorkshire Live reporting that the Blades would be a good destination for the defender.
Former Premier League defender and fellow North Ireland international Gareth McAuley spoke very highly of Ballard back in September of last year. He went as far as to say he should be integrated into the Arsenal team.
“If I were Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, I’d be recalling Daniel Ballard from his loan spell at Millwall and placing the young Northern Ireland international in my struggling Gunners team,” he told The Belfast Telegraph.
“I know Daniel isn’t Mikel’s type of defender — he probably doesn’t match his philosophy in how he wants the game to be played — but maybe he should be with the way Arsenal have started their season. Daniel just keeps on getting better and better with every game he plays in, especially on the international scene.”
Sheffield United missed out on promotion to return immediately to the Premier League. As they look to build a side capable of challenging again, Ballard would be sure to add plenty of quality and assuredness to their defence.
