So far this season, William Saliba has a shout for being the most in-form centre-back in the Premier League.
Since the Frenchman’s return to the Emirates Stadium from Marseille on loan, he has become one of the first names on the teamsheet for the league leaders.
Alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, the former Saint-Etienne defender has struck up an impenetrable partnership, with the duo having conceded the joint-lowest number of goals in the division (11).
As a result, it has been no surprise to see many fans and pundits alike consider Saliba as a guaranteed member of France’s 25-man squad for the World Cup.
After Arsenal’s shock 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, the 21-year-old has disclosed the interesting story behind how he discovered that he was set to travel to Qatar with Les Bleus, as confirmed on Wednesday.
“Some people just told me one hour before but I waited for the coach to [confirm I was in the squad]. When he [Deschamps] spoke on the TV, we were in the warm-up”, he told Charles Watts of GOAL.
The wonderkid continues, “So, when I came back, I watched a little bit on my phone and I saw my name. I was so happy.”
While Saliba seems over the moon about his call-up to the French squad for the showpiece event, it has been reported that he could even become a starter for his national side at the tournament.
Reportedly, Didier Deschamps could deploy the highly-rated defender as part of a back three in a 3-4-1-2 system, alongside Manchester United’s Raphael Varane and Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile.
Ultimately, William Saliba is an elite centre-back in the making and his call-up to France’s roster could be the start of an incredible career for his national team.
All eyes will be on the prodigy to see whether he can replicate his brilliant performances in an Arsenal shirt for the French at the World Cup.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
