Saint-Etienne have revealed that they reached an agreement with Arsenal and William Saliba over a one-year loan move before the transfer window closed, but were unable to complete the deal before time ran out.
The 19-year-old left the Ligue 1 club in the summer of 2019 to accept a permanent move to Arsenal for a fee of around £27million before heading back to the French side on a one-year loan move for the 2019/20 season.
However, having finally joined up with the Arsenal squad this summer, the young defender is yet to make an appearance for the Gunners.
A loan move had been rumoured for Saliba, with a host of clubs said to be interested in a season-long deal.
And Saint-Etienne state that they had a deal agreed with both the defender and Arsenal, only for a hold-up with paperwork to prevent the move from taking place.
"Long before the transfer window closed, AS Saint-Etienne had reached an agreement with William Saliba and accepted Arsenal's offer for a one-season loan," the club said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, all the administrative conditions could not be met in time, in England, for the finalisation of the file.
"The disappointment is great for ASSE and William Saliba, [who was] particularly determined to return to the club where he had flourished."
Saliba signed a "long-term" contract with the Gunners when moving to the Premier League, believed to be a five-year deal that will run until 2024.
