Arsenal board convinced by 21-year-old’s quality as he waits for his Gunners debut

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Arsenal have high hopes for William Saliba and it now seems that the defender has the backing of the Gunners board as he chases first-team football.

Arsenal will be in the market for new signings this summer but there are also some decisions to make on returning loanees.

The likes of Hector Bellerin, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Pablo Mari, Reiss Nelson, Lucas Torreira and Folarin Balogun are heading back to Arsenal this summer.

Some may stay, some may go, some may head out on loan once again.

Another case is that of defender Saliba, who returns to Arsenal this summer after his season-long loan at Marseille.

Arsenal have high hopes for William Saliba

Saliba was a major capture for Arsenal back in the summer of 2019.

The Gunners paid a huge £27million for Saliba off the back of just just 16 league appearances for Saint-Etienne.

The defender was immediately sent back on loan to Saint-Etienne, where his season was cut short due to COVID-19.

Saliba then spent the season half of last season on loan at Nice. Many expected Saliba to be given a chance at Arsenal but that didn’t happen.

Instead, Arsenal sent Saliba out on loan yet again, this time to Marseille. Three years on from Saliba joining Arsenal, he still hasn’t made his competitive debut for the club.

Saliba impressed with Marseille this season, playing 36 league games – the most in one season of his career – and now has two caps for France.

The 21-year-old seems primed to contend with Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes at centre back for Arsenal.

There have been questions over whether Mikel Arteta really rates Saliba; it was Unai Emery in charge when Arsenal signed Saliba, not Arteta.

Yet L’Equipe in France now claim, as noted by GFFN, that the Arsenal board are convinced by Saliba and want to give him a new contract.

That would suggest that talks have been held with Arteta about Saliba and there is a plan in place for the defender moving forward.

Saliba certainly bolsters Arsenal’s defensive options now he appears to be staying, and Gunners fans will hope that he is worth the wait.