Mikel Arteta will have to back up his comments about taking Arsenal to “the next level” as he looks to persuade William Saliba to stay at The Emirates.
After last season’s agonising top-four failure, the Spaniard has been open that he wants players in his squad who can ensure their upward trajectory continues. That has already been evident in the transfer window, with Fabio Vieira arriving and a deal for Manchester City ’s Gabriel Jesus edging closer.
And Arteta will have the chance to bolster the ranks further by finally integrating Saliba into the first-team picture. It’s now three years since the Frenchman signed for the Gunners - and he is still waiting for his first appearance in the senior side.
But after his latest loan spell with Marseille showed Arsenal exactly the type of talent they have acquired, Arteta has strongly stated that he will be involved. “He has to come back,” Arteta confidently declared last month. "He has the experience and the necessary environment to be competitive with us.
“If he had stayed with us this year, with one Premier League game a week and with Ben White and Gabriel, he wouldn’t have had half the game time he had with Marseille, that’s for sure.
“In terms of his growth and what he could do next year it wouldn’t have been good. William wasn’t with us because he wouldn’t have had the playing time required to gain experience. That’s it, nothing else.”
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However, having helped Marseille qualify for the Champions League themselves, they are desperate to bring him back to the club next season. RMC via GFFN report that despite the Gunners’ commitment to playing Saliba the French club are willing to commit £25million to sign him permanently.
Arteta now faces a personal test of his ability to truly convince Saliba his future is best placed in North London and that he can deliver on his promise of successfully turning him into a top Premier League defender.
President Pablo Longoria has spoken openly about their desire to retain the 21-year-old, who on his current path could be worth significantly more than that fee in just a couple of years. “We respect his club, we have to thank Arsenal,” Longoria said to RMC. “It’s a friendly club that helped us a lot during the last transfer window.
“We have very good relations. We have to talk to each other, see if there is the possibility of reaching an agreement between the clubs, there is the player’s will, the club’s will… But above all, we must respect Arsenal.”
The removal of financial restrictions has also buoyed their hopes of completing the marquee signing and a bid could force Arteta to deliver on his promise of an expanded role. Saliba had previously admitted he would be open to returning to play in Europe’s top competition, before clarifying his stance more emphatically.
"I belong to Arsenal, and I still have two years there,” he told TF1. “I will be there for pre-season with Arsenal. I have played zero matches with Arsenal and I want to show them what I'm made of and have the chance to play for the supporters and for this big club. In any case, leaving like that would be a shame."
While supporters have their focus locked on potential incomings, Arteta must acknowledge that keeping Saliba in north London, could be his most important business of the summer.
