Arsenal defender William Saliba has admitted he "feels good" at loan club Marseille, despite appearing to be part of Mikel Arteta's plans for the future.
The 20-year-old hasn't made a senior appearance for the Gunners since joining the club for £27million in July 2019, spending time on loan at Saint-Etienne and Nice. He's impressed during his current spell at Marseille, playing 28 Ligue 1 games this term.
Saliba has been rewarded with a call-up to France's senior squad for this month's friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa due to his solid form. He's represented France at several youth levels, picking up five caps for the U21 side to date.
Marseille are currently second in Ligue 1, 12 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain. They have the joint-best defensive record in the division. Marseille have also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, taking on Greek side PAOK next month.
"I’ve never hidden the fact that I feel good here. I don’t know what my future holds, there’s still two months to go," Saliba told RMC Sport. "The most important thing is to qualify for the Champions League and go as far as possible in the Conference League.
"I think discussions will take place afterwards, at the end of May to early June, between Arsenal and Marseille – we’ll decide at that point. "But staying on here would definitely not be a bad idea, on the contrary, I know the city, my teammates, my manager. But it doesn’t depend on me."
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Saliba still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his existing deal and the Gunners are likely to command a huge transfer fee if they agree to sell the youngster this summer. His valuation is likely to increase should he make his senior France debut this month.
"I know that sometimes it’s difficult to explain or understand after the money that the club has spent trying to bring him in, to send him on loan," said Arteta earlier this month, insisting Saliba is part of his future plans. "But a lot of things have happened to him.
"He’s a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well. And giving him three or four games is not enough. He’s very happy to go there now. Hopefully, he can enjoy his football and be ready for us for next season."
Marseille president Pablo Longoria expressed a desire to keep hold of Saliba earlier this month. "Keeping hold of William is a three-way matter for Arsenal, who own him, as well as for the player himself and for Marseille," Longoria told French outlet La Provence.
"We need to take a look at our possibilities. He is very happy here with us, and we are very satisfied with his performances. William is one of the best young defenders I have ever seen in my career... it is a real question of what he is worth on the transfer market."
