Back in July 2019, Arsenal completed the signing of 18-year-old William Saliba for a sizeable fee of £27m, in what was a big show of faith.
The Frenchman – now aged 21 – never got a chance at the Emirates Stadium under Unai Emery, as he was immediately loaned back to Saint-Etienne.
Even now, Saliba is still yet to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners, as Mikel Arteta loaned him out to OGC Nice and then Marseille.
Now, the youngster has earned a nomination for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award thanks to his efforts on loan at Marseille.
What’s the story?
Well, Arsenal surely have to sit up and take notice of Saliba now.
The France international finds himself amongst the likes of Arnaud Kalimuendo, Castello Lukeba, Nuno Mendes and Khephren Thuram in the race for the award.
So far this season, Saliba has made a whopping 49 appearances in all competitions for the French giants.
His efforts have seen him awarded two caps for France by Didier Deschamps, and in truth, it’s no surprise to see him nominated for the award.
Arsenal could lose William Saliba
Despite his Young Player of the Year nomination, Arsenal could still wave goodbye to Saliba without seeing him kick a ball competitively in north London.
It has been said that Edu – Director of Football at Arsenal – would be willing to sell the centre-back for a sum of £25m, amid interest from Real Madrid.
Arteta himself also doesn’t sound overly excited to have Saliba back in north London next season.
The Spaniard said there could be room for the defender in his squad next term, but it will depend on what happens with other players.
In our view, Arsenal would be fools to sell Saliba – he has the potential to be the best in his position one day.
Keep an eye on this situation, as anything could happen this summer.
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