William Saliba has been excellent since his loan switch to Marseille in the summer transfer window, after Mikel Arteta decided he still needs to prove himself elsewhere.
The defender has been crucial for Jorge Sampaoli’s side and has started every Ligue 1 match since joining the club.
He has had some noticeable performances, and none more so than his clean sheet against PSG, as he stopped arguably the most dangerous front three in world football in Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe from scoring.
The marvellous display earned him a spot on the starting XI of the best French under 23 players according to French newspaper L’equipe.
More interestingly, Saliba is placed at centre-back whilst highly rated defender, Jules Kounde has been shifted to right-back who naturally features in the centre of defence.
The Sevilla centre-back was linked with a summer move to Chelsea in a £65M deal but a transfer collapsed, as the two clubs could not come to an agreement on a fee.
But the fact that Saliba has taken the desired defensive spot over him in the eyes of a credible French news source, highlights what a success story he has been in France so far.
The France under-21 international joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019, prompting a feeling of optimism among supporters due to his £27million price tag and a glamorous announcement video for good measure.
But it was his on-field performances that helped heighten that expectation within the fanbase. At just 18-years-old, he was already a regular for St Etienne - a side that finished fourth in Ligue 1 during the 2018/2019 season.
At 6’4, the aerial presence is undeniable and what appeals to Arsenal is his ability to play out from the back and take on the role as a ball carrier.
However, he has gone on two extra loan moves to Ligue 1 since and has impressed on all occasions, but has still been unable to break into Arteta’s squad.
With the solidarity of Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes as Arsenal’s centre back pairing, it has made it even more difficult for the Frenchman to break into the side.
But, if he continues to display excellent performances and continues to be in the same conversation as Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga, then it will be impossible for Arteta to ignore him.
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