Arsenal made the somewhat controversial decision to send William Saliba on loan to Marseille, but it could pay dividends under Jorge Sampaoli.
The Gunners splashed £27million to sign Saliba in 2019, but sent him straight back to Saint-Etienne for first-team games.
Mikel Arteta didn’t fancy him in the first half of last season, meaning he was loaned out to Nice, with fans expecting him to really push for playing time this season.
That didn’t happen though, with Arteta deciding he wasn’t ready for Arsenal games. A third loan move, this time to Marseille, was agreed.
With Ben White now signed, some may wonder whether Saliba can still have a future at the Emirates Stadium – but working under Sampaoli could give Arsenal what they’re seeking.
Sampaoli may be known as a gung-ho, attack-minded coach, but his defensive coaching has been praised by now-Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet.
Lenglet has publicly admitted that Sampaoli was the manager who really improved his defensive ability, as he learned how to play higher up the pitch.
Sampaoli was the key figure in that, with Lenglet stating that playing under the Argentinian was a ‘very important learning process’.
“At Sevilla, Sampaoli taught me how to defend upfield, which I didn’t do in France. It was a very important learning process,” said Lenglet.
Now in charge of Marseille, Sampaoli is in charge of Saliba’s development this season.
Lenglet has become an important player at Barcelona over the years, and Arsenal will hope to see him reach his fellow Frenchman’s level.
With Sampaoli at the helm, that could happen – and this decision from Arteta and Edu could end up paying dividends given Sampaoli’s history.
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