ESPN report that Mikel Arteta does not feel William Saliba is ready for the demands of Premier League football.
They claim that Arsenal are looking to loan the defender into the Championship for the season.
Watford and Brentford are named as potential destinations, with Saliba yet to make a competitive appearance for the Gunners.
The report says that Arsenal wouldn’t consider a loan move for a £27 million player without Arteta’s direct say so.
But Arteta just doesn’t feel Saliba is ready for the demands of Premier League football at all, right now.
The Spaniard wants to see Saliba improve on his set-piece defending and discipline this season.
That means not diving into tackles and giving away silly free kicks.
The report claims that Arteta’s hardline stance on Saliba is tangible evidence of the importance in his shift from head coach to manager over the summer.
It’s not a fantastic look for Arsenal that an expensive central defensive signing still isn’t ready, but he’s got plenty of time to develop.
What Arteta has done with the signing of Gabriel is buy Saliba more time and ease the pressure on him to come in right away and do the business.
A year in the Championship, playing most weeks, should do wonders for Saliba’s confidence.
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