Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes the club should consider allowing William Saliba to go out on loan in order to aid his development.
The teenage centre-back signed for the Gunners in July 2019 after Saint-Etienne accepted a £27 million bid for his services, but spent the entirety of last season at the Ligue 1 outfit on loan.
Despite being touted as a talented prospect, Saliba is yet to make a senior appearance for Arsenal, and it has been reported that the 19-year-old is keen to depart on a temporary basis once again.
Winterburn, who made over 400 appearances for the north London club, believes this is an option that should be seriously considered by his former club as additional experience at senior level will benefit Saliba's development.
The 56-year-old also suggested that a Championship side could be his ideal destination due to the division's tendency to produce competitive, physical football.
"The whole William Saliba situation at Arsenal is a strange one," Winterburn told FreeSuperTips. "When we signed him, fans were thinking he was going to be a sensational signing for many years to come, but it’s not happened to be like that as of yet.
"We aren’t fully aware of the issues he has faced since coming to London, but it’s clear to see that he is struggling to settle in his new surroundings.
"Maybe Mikel Arteta felt that Saliba wasn’t ready for the Premier League, but with all the issues surrounding Arsenal at the moment, it is hard to keep up with it.
"If he isn’t going to be put back into the squad in January, then he will need to go out on loan and play for another team to get minutes.
"I would prefer for his loan to be in England as he could go to a team in the Championship and it will toughen him up, whereas if he went on loan abroad, it might make him realise that he’s made the wrong decision coming to Arsenal."
The Gunners face bitter rivals Tottenham on Sunday as they look to secure their first league win at the home of their north London foes since 2014.
