Arsenal’s William Saliba finally got back to senior football on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t a great outcome.
The Gunners only loaned the 19-year-old defender to Ligue 1 outfit Nice on Tuesday and already he was given a debut in last night’s trip to Brest.
But despite playing 90 minutes, Saliba, who cost Arsenal £27 million in the summer of 2019, was unable to prevent his temporary side from slipping to a 2-0 defeat.
It was a decent overall display from Saliba but a shambolic one from the French outfit, as a team.
Here’s how some Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter to his performance:
There was some scathing assessments of Saliba too – not so much about his own performance, but suggestions that Mikel Arteta was somehow vindicated in loaning him out.
The Arsenal boss hadn’t played him in a single senior game prior to his return to France this week, constantly indicating that he wasn’t ready.
But the truth is that we’re talking about a 19-year-old kid who will, in all probability, develop into a fine central defender over the coming years.
Remember, Saint-Etienne were desperate for Arsenal to extend his loan during the summer so that he could face Paris Saint-Germain in a cup final, and that right there illustrates his potential.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
