Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on William Saliba.
When a new manager arrives at a club, they would certainly love to have a panic-free introduction to the job – but that won’t be the case for Ghislain Printant.
Printant as been confirmed as Saint-Etienne’s new boss after the exit of Jean-Louis Gasset, having served as his assistant with the Ligue 1 club.
Printant was presented to the press for the first time this morning, and the attention was quickly turned to the future of defender William Saliba.
Now, as quoted by Get French Football News, Printant admitted that Saint-Etienne are hoping to keep Saliba, believing that he still needs to develop before making a big move.
“Saliba is part of our squad,” said Printant. “We all know that he is sought after. From a football perspective, our desire is to keep him here with us. He still needs to grow,” he added.
Saliba, 18, has emerged as one of the top young talents in French football having made 16 first-team appearances last season, attracting major interest.
RMC Sport reported just days ago that Arsenal are still in negotiations about signing Saliba, but bitter rivals Tottenham have now contacted Saint-Etienne to tell them they’re preparing a bid of their own.
Saliba would cost at least €30million (£27million), and with Arsenal struggling to secure a deal despite plenty of talks, the window is open for Tottenham to strike an agreement themselves.
Printant’s comments may leave some worrying that Saliba isn’t ready for such a big move, but it may also be a ploy to try and convince Saliba to stay, with Saint-Etienne knowing that promising development and playing time is all they can really offer in the face of Premier League riches.
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