Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an update on the long-term future of William Saliba.
The 19-year-old joined up with the Gunners squad in the summer after spending a year on loan at St. Etienne immediately after signing from the French club, but has not played a minute in the first team this season.
As a result he joined Nice on loan earlier this week, and there were some reports that Arsenal may be open to the idea of making that move permanent come the end of the season.
But now Arteta has moved to confirm that Saliba's future does lie in North London.
"He will come back for pre-season and he will be with us," said the Spaniard.
"Hopefully he will come back after playing a number of games and his performance raising and his development progressing in the right way. That’s why we made that decision.
"I know that sometimes it’s difficult to explain or understand after the money that the club has spent trying to bring him in, to send him on loan.
"But a lot of things have happened to him he’s a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well. And giving him three or four games is not enough.
"For him he needs much more than that, because what happened in the last 18 months, he’s been through some personal problems as well that we have to try to help him and stay as close as possible to him.
"And now he needs to play, play and play and enjoy his profession as well. And in order to do that I think we found the right club with him.
"He’s very happy to got there now. Hopefully he can enjoy his football and be ready for us for next season."
Arteta also explained why Saliba hasn't been included in any of the matchday squads for Arsenal this season.
"Yes, well, we signed a big project that we had some issues with because he hasn’t played enough football in the last eighteen months. At that age and in the development phase he is at that is crucial.
"And I was very conscious when he came back, when he didn’t do the step that he had to do before joining us that to start a relationship with a new manager, with a new club, with new teammates in a situation where he is not having any game time it’s really difficult and I think it’s really damaging for the future.
"I want to protect the player that we signed and the future that we have alongside him."
"The best way to do that is to give him minutes and play. He’s been really good, it’s been difficult months for him and that situation.
"But I see the development that he’s made, the progression that he’s shown over the months. And now he’s ready to compete.
"He’s going into a really strong league as well, a league he knows really well. He has experience, and he need to play as many games as possible to be ready for us for next season.
