After a season and a half away, William Saliba finally returned to London Colney to report for pre-season training on Monday. The French defender has spent the past 18 months on loan at Nice and Marseille, impressing particularly with the latter his performances saw him named Ligue 1 young player of the year.
Despite his impressive displays out in France there have still been some uncertainties over his future at Arsenal where he is still yet to make his competitive senior debut, despite having signed in the summer of 2019. However, Saliba himself appeared to put that to bed by confirming that his intention was to return to North London in an interview last month.
“I will be back with Arsenal," the 21-year-old said. "I have played zero matches and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club." And now Saliba's predecessor in central defence at Arsenal Per Mertesacker has delivered his verdict on the next step for the former St. Etienne man.
