There’s no denying that Arsenal’s decision to loan William Saliba to Marseille has been a success.
After all, the defender has played almost every game for the Ligue 1 side this season, and even managed to earn himself two caps for France in the process, exemplifying just why the Gunners spent so much money on his arrival from Saint-Etienne a few years ago.
It was clear for all to see that the defender had a bright future ahead of him, even if Mikel Arteta was reluctant to give him an early chance at Arsenal.
This led to loans aplenty, but none have been as successful as the current one in the south of France, where he has established himself as a fan favourite and a key player.
Looking at what the future holds for pretty much the entire Marseille squad on Tuesday, L’Equipe explain the Ligue 1 side don’t have ‘the cards in hand’ when it comes to the young centre-backs.
In fact, ‘big teams are informing themselves’ on Saliba, with Atlético Madrid specifically named, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t stay an extra year.
L’Equipe point out that with just a few months between now and the World Cup, Marseille could ‘tug on the heartstrings’ at Arsenal to get them to extend his current loan in hope of guaranteeing him a space in Didier Deschamps’ plans for the winter.
