Paris Saint-Germain superstar and France international Kylian Mbappe is clearly an admirer of Arsenal sensation and fellow Frenchman William Saliba.
The young Gunners defender has adjusted to life in the Premier League seamlessly, quickly establishing himself as one of the first names on Mikel Arteta's teamsheet due to his remarkable composure and technical prowess. It is for that reason Saliba was called up to the French side for the latest round of Uefa Nations League fixtures.
After the 2-0 home win over Austria earlier in the week, Saliba took to social media to thank the Stade de France faithful for their support during the game. He wrote: "Always proud to wear this jersey. Thanks to the supporters for this atmosphere."
Amid the plethora of comments from adoring Arsenal fans, Mbappe sent Saliba a message that read: "Duroooooo", which translates in English to 'hard'. A rock at the back, the 20-year-old centre-half has found himself yet another fan in his famous France teammate.
While Saliba hasn't exactly added an entirely new dimension to the way Arsenal play, Arteta always wanted to play out from the back, the calmness of the former Saint-Etienne star means the Gunners can have full faith their centre-back will come out of compromising situations with possession.
In their last outing, Saliba got on the scoresheet with an expertly-taken header that was guided to the back post and send Arsenal on their way to a 3-0 victory. The third goal of the game came in the form of a screamer from Fabio Vieira, but the move in the build-up actually all started because of Saliba's quality and ability to play out while under immense pressure.
Due to the fact he was sent on three separate loan spells before kicking a ball competitively for the Gunners, Saliba actually only has two years left on his Arsenal contract. This has sparked fears his time at the Emirates could be shortlived as other clubs begin to circle.
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However, the man in question went some way to quashing those rumours himself when he offered an insight into how he was faring in his first full season playing for Arsenal.
"Yes, for sure," he said, when asked if he feels at home by Sky Sports. "I'm at home here. I like London, I like the club, I like everything. I feel at home here."
According to reports, Saliba is currently one of the lowest earning players in the Arsenal first-team given he signed his £40,000-per-week deal back in 2019.
If the Gunners are to stand any chance of keeping hold of him, Arteta will have to offer Saliba a drastically improved contract and fast, with interest from a number of European giants being reported on a regular basis.
