William Saliba has hinted that he would be open to leaving Arsenal to stay with Olympique Marseille after a breakthrough season with the Ligue 1 giants.
In an explosive interview with RMC Sport, the 21-year-old defender claimed that remaining in the south of France wouldn’t be the worst idea for his career, with Salbia playing a starring role for Marseille as the club look set to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The now-French international signed for Arsenal in 2019 yet has not played a single minute of professional football with the north London club, with Saliba going out on loan three times since moving to the Premier League giants.
Whilst reports have emerged in recent weeks that Saliba will be part of the Arsenal senior squad next season, the defender will likely only be a backup option to Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White, and when asked about staying in Marseille, the centre-back revealed that he would be open to staying.
Saliba said about his Arsenal future: “I think discussions will take place afterwards, at the end of May to early June, between Arsenal and Marseille. We’ll decide at that point. But staying here would definitely not be a bad idea.
The defensive prospect added; “On the contrary, I know the city, my teammates, my manager. But it doesn’t depend on me, we’ll see how it goes, but it also depends on Arsenal who must give their ‘Alright’. We’ll see.”
Arsenal can’t allow Saliba to move to Marseille this summer
The future of Saliba now looks murkier than ever, with the defender seemingly open to leaving Arsenal following an incredible campaign with Marseille. And for the Gunners, they simply can’t allow their top defensive prospect to leave without even kicking a ball.
Indeed, Saliba has the potential to be one of the best centre-backs in world football, and for Arsenal, even with their established back-line, the north London side simply have to accommodate for the Frenchman, who seems eager to move to Marseille for good.
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