Arsenal defender William Saliba has joined Marseille on a season-long loan deal, the Premier League club have confirmed.
The centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan with French side Nice and will return to Ligue 1 for the 2021/22 season.
Saliba signed for Arsenal in 2019 but immediately re-joined St. Etienne on loan and only joined up with his new teammates the following summer.
There were high hopes for the 20-year-old heading into last season but he failed to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s plans and is still yet to make a first-team appearance for the club.
Arsenal technical director Edu said: “Together with William, we have decided it will be good for his continued development to spend another season on loan. William joined us as an 18-year-old, and he is still only 20, so he is still developing all the time.
“William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be really beneficial for him at Marseille, a good club. To play another season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course be keeping in close contact with William during the season and wish him all the best in France with Marseille.”
