Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has conceded he did harbour some fears over the state of his relationship with William Saliba ahead of the Frenchman's first proper season at the club.
The Gunners actually signed Saliba in the summer of 2019, while they were still under the guidance of Arteta's predecessor Unai Emery. While the young defender was never expected to slot straight into the first team, few could have guessed he'd have been the subject of three separate loan spells back to different French clubs either.
But that's exactly what happened, which inevitably inspired some to speculate that there may be a rift between Saliba and Arteta due to the former feeling let down by the fact he wasn't handed an opportunity to play first-team football at the Emirates for three years after he'd joined.
