Raul Sanllehi has said that he hopes William Saliba can be Arsenal's centre-back for the next ten years.
The 18-year-old completed his £27million move from Saint-Etienne yesterday after choosing the Gunners ahead of a switch to north London rivals Tottenham.
Saliba will return to the French side on a season-long loan deal, and speaking at Arsenal's annual Q&A session at the Emirates Stadium , Raul Sanllehi says that his return to Saint Etienne is to aid his long-term development.
He said: “Saliba was different, part of the deal is for him to be on loan for one year with his club.
"We are pleased about that because the level of intensity and the level of demand in the Premier League is very strong. He’s probably too young for that yet, as I said, we need to protect our young talent.
"We think it will be good for him to be in a less demanding league to continue his formative period, so we’ll have a top defender for a decade. He saw for his career path, the perfect solution for him."
Saliba was certainly excited about his move to the Gunners, and said that the history of the club played a huge role in his decision to join.
Speaking to the club website , he said: "Well, the history, the badge.
"Since I was little, I've been watching Arsenal play in the Champions League and so on, and there are a lot of French players who have come through here.
"So that really helped me to make my mind up."
