Arsenal signing William Saliba made his first team breakthrough for Saint-Etienne last season to play 16 league games and attract the attention of the Gunners.
In a transfer battle that saw Unai Emery's side beat Tottenham Hotspur to his signature it was agreed that he would be immediately loaned back to the Ligue 1 club for another season of development.
However, following his emergence in the French topflight, he picked out one former midfield target linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as a key figure in his development.
During his time with Rennes, Yann M'Vila was heavily linked to the Gunners, with Arsene Wenger even revealing an approach for the midfielder.
A deal never materialised but the Frenchman did make his way to the Premier League to join Sunderland on loan for a season in the 2015/16 campaign.
He impressed at the Stadium Of Light only for the Black Cats to miss out on making the move permanent.
In 2018 he joined Saint-Etienne from Rubin Kazan and according to Saliba was an important ally for the youngster as he made his first steps in the senior game.
"In Saint-Etienne, there are experienced players, very great players in each line, which is perfect," he told LFP .
"Whatever the position, I can observe what my teammates are doing to progress.
"I also remember that in my first match, Yann M'Vila told me not to hesitate to put the ball to him when I was in trouble, even if he was in a hurry."
Saliba also praised former Arsenal right-back Mathieu Debuchy for helping to make the transition between youth football to Ligue 1 easier than it could have been.
"They made me all comfortable," he said. "The state of mind is very good in this group. Players like Loïc Perrin or Mathieu Debuchy, they often give me advice.
"All they do, I do not do it well yet, whether it's in the head game, the passes, the long game.
"They have a lot more experience than me so I have to pay attention to what they do the training to be able to do the same as them one day or even better."
