Arsenal defender William Saliba could still yet play for Saint Etienne in the French Cup final, with the Gunners said to be back in conversation with the French club.
Saliba had returned to Arsenal upon the conclusion of his loan deal at the end of last month, with negotiations between the two clubs over extending the deal reaching no agreement.
In a statement, Saint Etienne deemed the terms proposed by Arsenal as ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
Arsenal hit back at that claim with a statement of their own.
“As William is returning from injury, we asked that St Etienne follow a clear training plan with William in close collaboration with us, to ensure he is fully fit for the start of next season,” it read.
"To our surprise, we were unable to reach agreement to this plan which was proposed by our medical experts, and we are simply not prepared to risk the welfare of an Arsenal player.”
However, it now seems that relations between the two clubs have softened, with French newspaper L’Equipe reporting that meeting over extending the loan have taken place, with negotiations at an ‘advanced’ stage.
Reports suggested that Saliba himself was unhappy with the situation, with his mood in training convincing Arsenal to re-enter negotiations.
Saliba joined Arsenal in a £27 million transfer last summer, but has spent the season back on loan with his former club. It now seems that he may be able to play one final game for the club before returning to the Emirates Stadium ahead of next season.
