It’s taken a while but it looks like Arsenal defender William Saliba is finally enjoying senior football again.
The 19-year-old returned to North London last summer following a season-long loan back at Saint Etienne in France.
But for whatever reason, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta doesn’t appear to rate Saliba, who cost £27 million during Unai Emery’s reign in 2019.
We know this because the French centre-back hasn’t even made his senior debut for the Gunners as of yet, with Arteta omitting him from his Europa League squad back in October.
Arsenal loaned the youngster to Nice in Ligue 1 a little earlier this month and it seems like he’s loving life again.
Saliba was one of his team’s stand-out performers on Saturday as the French side won 1-0 away to Lens.
And local outlet L’Equipe gave a glowing review of him in Sunday’s edition of the paper, writing: “He guides and instructs the defence, gives impression he’s been there a long time. He’s just arrived but has already shown he’s the boss of the defence.”
It’s so important that Arsenal don’t get tempted to sell this lad without even testing him on the big stage – and the big stage meaning senior football, at this point.
There’s no denying that he has a lot of potential and it’d be a massive shame for the Premier League side if he doesn’t realise it in North London.
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