William Saliba should be integrated into Arsenal’s squad next season, but Bukayo Saka has given a piece of advice on how Arsenal can help him settle in fast.
The Frenchman joined Marseille on a season-long loan after being declared not ready by manager Mikel Arteta, which initially angered the fan base.
But the £50m signing of Ben White has proven to be a success so far and at just 23 years old it means the defence at Arsenal is still very young.
Talking to LADbible , Saka was asked about the biggest influence that helped him succeed at Arsenal, and he said: “David Luiz, has done the most for me in my career.
“To go into the first team is not always the easiest experience, but I think if you ask all the young players at Arsenal they would say David [Luiz].” He added.
“He went out of his way to do a lot for us and gave us advice on and off the pitch.”
The experience David Luiz bought to the team was crucial, despite his questionable performances at times.
Saliba will benefit greatly similar to Saka if he has that dressing room influence when he returns from Marseille.
However, the current starting Arsenal defence are all at the age of 24 and under, meaning there is not an experienced figure who would be able to ease the integration of Saliba.
With Calum Chambers and Pablo Mari being linked with moves away from the club, this opens the door for Arsenal to properly replace the dressing room influence Luiz had equipped, with another experienced defender.
Not only would signing a player who has dressing room influence as a strong trait help guide Saliba and the other young players at the club, but they could prove pivotal for tough away fixtures, which Arsenal’s young defence have struggled with so far this season.
Saka’s quotes are definitely eye-opening and it is certainly a notion that can be used towards Saliba’s development in north London.
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