Bacary Sagna says William Saliba can reach the very top if he believes in his own ability and does not worry about his age - as Kylian Mbappe has done.
The Arsenal defender will return to the Emirates at the end of the campaign, having spent the entire season on loan at Saint-Etienne.
Saliba signed for the Gunners last summer in a deal worth in the region of £27 million, rejecting late interest from Tottenham in the process.
Much is expected of the teenager after earning a reputation as one of the most highly-rated young defenders in Europe, and former Arsenal full-back Sagna believes his compatriot has what it takes to succeed in north London.
"First he will need to adapt to English football,” the former Gunners defender said, speaking to Goal.
“He is a big prospect for the future but Arsenal need him to perform as soon as he starts.
"He is aware of that probably, but he has a lot of qualities and he will learn fast. Hopefully he will achieve good things and become one of the best centre-backs in the league.
“He is very confident in defending, he is not afraid to defend one against one and most of the time he wins the duels, which is the best quality as a defender.
“You need some security, you need some presence and he has that.”
Sagna also urged the centre-back to concentrate on his performances and not take notice of the hype around his relatively young age - just as Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe has done.
"Someone who has always said don’t speak about my age is Kylian Mbappe,” Sagna added.
“When he started saying this he was 19 and now he’s one of the best strikers in the world.
“If he [Saliba] believes he can be as good as Van Dijk, he’s probably been watching his games and analysing them. It’s about hard work.
“If you want to be the best at the back, it’s all about work and belief."
