Marseille will open talks with Arsenal about making William Saliba's loan move permanent after Mikel Arteta said he must return to the Emirates next season.
The Spaniard made it clear the defender "has to come back" to his parent club when his loan deal at Marseille expires as he plans to reintegrate the defender into his side next season. Saliba has expressed his desire to extend his stay in the south of France, however, as he looks to play Champions League football after an impressive campaign where he was named Ligue 1's Young Player of the Year.
Arsenal have promised the centre-half that he will have an 'integral role' in Arteta's side, according to L'Equipe. The north Londoners also want to extend his current contract which runs out in 2024 to prove to the rising star that he is a part of the club's long-term plans.
But Marseille still hope they can work out a deal to bring Saliba back to Marseille next season as club president Pablo Longoria plans to open discussions with Arsenal while being respectful to the Gunners.
He told RMC Sport: “We had a lot of conversations analysing William Saliba’s season, especially in the last few days. He’s coming off an extraordinary season, with one of the highest number of matches played in Europe. He also joined the France team, which is incredible at his age. We discussed a lot internally about what we can do, to find out what the possibilities are.
“We respect his club, we have to thank Arsenal. 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.”
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Arteta revealed he plans to utilise Saliba next season and reckons he can challenge Ben White and Gabriel for a starting spot as he backed the club's decision to send him on loan to Marseille.
The Gunners boss told RMC Sport: "He has to come back. He has the experience and the environment necessary to be competitive with us. If he had stayed with us this year, with a match of Premier League a week, with Ben White and Gabriel, he wouldn't have had half the playing time he had with Marseille, that's for sure.
"For his growth and what he can do next season that wouldn't have been good. William wasn't with us because he wouldn't have had the playing time to gain experience. That's it, there's nothing else. We made the right decision."
Saliba is keen to stay at Marseille after the French side sealed a second-place finish in Ligue 1. He said: "I want to come back and play the Champions League. I have never played in it and I want to discover it here."
