Arsenal must make a decision in the summer transfer window whether they are to keep William Saliba at the club or not.
The young Frenchman has been loaned out on three occasions since joining Arsenal, but now is the time to decide whether he can break into Mikel Arteta’s squad, or if he will be sold in a permanent deal.
According to Spanish outlet Sport , William Saliba, on loan at Marseille, is a target for La Liga giants Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, and further reports have said Los Blancos are set to approach with an offer.
However, former Arsenal striker Stephy Mavididi has made it clear that the young defender must stay in north London next season, and they are certainly comments which Arteta should listen to if Saliba's excellent performances weren't already persuasive enough.
Speaking about Saliba, Mavididi said: “He’s hands down one of the best defenders in the league. I think he’ll walk back into the Arsenal team next season. When I played against him, I thought ‘how is this guy not at Arsenal?”
Mavididi's impressive loan spells at Charlton Athletic and Preston North End poised him for an opportunity in Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side but the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prevented this.
The striker would go on to spend two seasons at Juventus learning from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo to improve his game.
The fact that he was a youth product during Wenger’s tenure at the Gunners means that he saw the club during its more fruitful days, and his words should certainly be noted, as he has also played against the Frenchman during his time in Ligue 1.
In Saliba’s recent loan at Marseille, he has shown the maturity required to be a regular Premier League centre-back, as he has currently played more minutes than any other player aged 20 and under in Europe's top five leagues.
The defender has proven to be crucial for Jorge Sampaoli’s side and has started every Ligue 1 match since joining the club.
His height and athletic prowess mean he's the perfect build for a defender looking to make waves in the English game, and with a senior call-up to the French national team potentially on the cards, Arsenal must assure him that he has a future at the club.
With the Gunners only having three available centre-back’s at the club it bodes the perfect opportunity for Saliba to make a breakthrough next season, and the words of Mavididi should certainly have helped his confidence.
Make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way and the Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.
