Arsenal are edging closer in their efforts to agree a deal with Saint Etienne for defender William Saliba.
The Gunners are in advanced talks to sign the 18-year-old for a fee yet to be finalised but thought to be in the region of £25million.
The structure of proposed payments is under discussion due to one of the main sticking points of the deal: the Ligue 1 club are insisting Saliba remains with them for the 2019-20 season.
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery wants to bring in Saliba now but the centre-back is viewed as such an exciting prospect that they appear to be ready to accept Saint-Etienne’s demands, something club president Roland Romeyer insists is also the player’s wish.
“He will stay at the club this season,” Romeyer is quoted in France as saying. “It is an imperative condition should we come to an agreement for his transfer. It’s also William’s wish.”
As a result, the Gunners are seeking to make a small initial payment this summer given Saliba will not be available to represent the club for another 12 months, a move which would also enable them to keep the vast majority of their modest £40m transfer budget for other targets.
However, there is growing confidence that an agreement can be reached with Saint-Etienne.
Arsenal remain interested in a deal for Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney but have so far shown no willingness to match the Scottish champions’ £25m valuation. Napoli are monitoring the situation and are ready to rival the Gunners for his signature.
