Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has nothing against William Saliba and in fact understands the French defender's need to play, according to former Gunners star Bacary Sagna.
Currently on loan at Marseille, Saliba's reputation seemingly enhances every week as he cements himself as one of if not the best centre-back in Ligue 1. As a fellow Frenchman, Sagna has been keeping a close eye on the youngster.
The ex-Arsenal right-back said: "I’ve watched Saliba this season and his performances have been great for Marseille. He’s been one of the key players defensively, he’s very calm with the ball, he can play out from the back, he’s very strong, good with his challenges.
"I think he just needed some time to play. And Mikel understands that. It’s not that he doesn’t like him, but I think at the age of 18 or 19 you need play, commit to playing every single weekend. He’s not one for staying on the bench, or not wanting to get involved.
Speaking to Genting Casino, Sagna continued: "When you are at Arsenal, you need to go somewhere and play and progress, and this is what it is, so I’m looking forward to seeing him back. He’s certainly progressed in France but the Premier League is a different animal. I think he has the ability to succeed and look forward to seeing him back.
Saliba is widely viewed as the most promising young defender in French football and Arsenal were applauded for securing his signature in the summer of 2019 while the club was under the guidance of current Villarreal manager Unai Emery. The Gunners even fended off interest from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to get the deal over the line.
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What has followed since his unveiling has seen Saliba yet to play in a competitive game for the club despite having been on the books for nearly three years. The 20-year-old was purchased from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne and immediately returned to the Geoffroy Stadium to continue his development for the 2019/20 season.
Many fans expected the centre-back to then return to the Emirates to ply his trade in north London the next campaign, but instead Saliba was forced to spend the first half of the 2020/21 campaign without action of any kind. Arsenal had both failed to register the then-teenager in their own Premier League squad as well as falling short of finding him a loan move.
By the time January rolled around Saliba yet again returned to his home country to spend the remainder of the season on loan with OGC Nice.
Last summer, Saliba again returned to Arsenal - this time with even less expectation to play for the club after the £50million signing of Ben White who also took the Frenchman's No.4 shirt. He upped sticks to France for the third time since he joined Arsenal and has gone from strength to strength with Marseille.
Saliba himself has spoken about his shock at the way his arrival at Arsenal was handled by the club. "Before going to Arsenal, I said to myself I was going to play, I was sure, I was wondering who I would play alongside," he confessed.
"I arrive, I play zero matches. I played for the U23s. That gave me a good slap. Things go so fast in football. I don't want to think about the future. I am going to give my all. Then there will be discussions in summer."
