William Saliba has hinted he would be happy to stay at Marseille next season if he decides to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old joined the French club on a season-long loan last July and has cemented his place in the side, featuring in 48 matches across all competitions. Saliba made his debut on the opening day of the campaign and helped his team to a 3-2 win over Montpellier.
He has since formed a formidable partnership with Leonardo Balerdi at the back and the duo have guided Marseille to 17 clean sheets in the process. They currently sit second in Ligue 1, 14 points behind already-confirmed champions Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Saliba's performances have caught the attention of many Arsenal supporters who are unsure whether the defender will be a part of Mikel Arteta 's plans next season. With Gabriel and Ben White starting the vast majority of the Gunners' Premier League matches, Saliba's place in the starting XI wouldn't be guaranteed.
Rob Holding has also stepped up when needed after he scored in Arsenal's vital 2-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon. But he is Arsenal's only other senior centre-back in the squad following Callum Chambers' departure to Aston Villa in January.
This could open up an opportunity for Saliba to break back into the side last season after three successive loan spells in France. After joining Arsenal from Saint Etienne for £27million in 2019, he was immediately loaned out to his former club for the rest of the campaign.
Saliba then spent six months at Nice for the second-half of the 2020/21 season, making 22 appearances in total. It is safe to say his stint at Marseille has been impressive and he has recently spoken about his future.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, he said: "My wish is to finish the season well, to leave on a good note in case I don't come back.
Will Arsenal finish in the top-four this season? Let us know in the comments below!
"It would be my pleasure to come back no matter what. It's not as if I know I’m not going to come back, it's Marseille, it's my club."
Former Arsenal defender Mikel Silvestre believes it would be best for Saliba to spend another season out on loan as he continues his development. This is mainly due to the partnership White and Gabriel have formed.
He told Genting Casino : "If you look at Gabriel and Ben White, I think that should be the partnership for next season. If Saliba comes in, he will be a back-up.
"He is still young and I would be tempted to give him another year on loan so he can become even more consistent. He has improved on this loan, but there have been some games where he wasn’t at his best level.
"To develop and to become a big part of Arsenal for the future. If you put him on the bench after playing a full season for Marseille, that would be a backwards step in his development."
