Former Arsenal striker Stephy Mavididi, who currently plies his trade for Montpellier in Ligue 1, has given an incredibly exciting verdict on centre-back William Saliba, who he has faced in French football this season.
Saliba is currently on his third loan since the Gunners signed him in 2019. He is yet to make a first-team appearance for the north London club.
Mikel Arteta's treatment of the 20-year-old has been questioned by fans, especially considering Arsenal spent £50 million on Ben White in the summer to play the same position.
Nevertheless, Saliba has continued to develop in France, enjoying an excellent loan season to date with Marseille, who currently sit third in Ligue 1.
Marseille have conceded just 18 goals this season, the joint-lowest in the league with Paris Saint-Germain and Nice. Saliba has played a key part in their defensive success, playing 90 minutes in all but one league match this season.
And Mavididi has compared Saliba favourably to PSG star Marquinhos, both of which he has played against this season.
"That guy’s a player. He’s hands down one of the best defenders in the league, hands down," he told LiveScore. "I think he’ll walk back into the Arsenal team next season. When I played against him I thought ‘How is this guy not playing at Arsenal?!’
"He’s strong, good on the ball, he reads the game well. Sometimes you walk off the pitch and think ‘Fair play man, respect’ – the defender has kept up with you, out tussled you, and you have to say fair play, this guy’s a good player.
"He’s one of the best centre-backs I’ve faced. Everyone can talk about Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Jerome Boateng, but he’s up there. He’s the one that surprised me the most.
"I’m an Arsenal fan too and playing against Saliba I thought, we’ve got a very decent defender here!"
What may come of Saliba's future remains to be seen. He now has only two years remaining on his contract and Arsenal will need to extend it if they want him to remain a Gunner long-term.
Meanwhile, is there a starting role for Saliba at the Emirates, with White and Gabriel forming such a strong partnership?
Perhaps with Champions League football, having three top-class centre-backs is required, but at present, whether Arteta wants to keep Saliba at the club beyond his Marseille loan remains unclear.
