Loaned back to Saint-Etienne after being purchased last summer, William Saliba enjoyed his second year as a professional footballer away from Arsenal.
While the Ligue 1 side didn’t have the best of seasons in the league, they did manage to reach the final of the Coupe de France, which will be played on Friday night against Paris Saint-Germain.
Having featured throughout the campaign, Saliba also wanted to play in what would have been the biggest game of his career so far, but Arsenal and Saint-Etienne never managed to find an agreement that would allow him to do so, seeing as his loan officially ended on June 30th.
It was reported a while back that it was his ‘melancholy’ that led the Gunners to start talks with their French counterparts to see if he could play, but now that it’s official and he won’t be featuring, the player opened up about it all to L’Equipe.
He said: “It would have been my first final for my second year as a pro. While I hope to play more, you’re never certain about anything. Furthermore, it would have been my final game with the club who made me. I hoped, I really did. Even when it seemed impossible. The two clubs did everything for me to play it, but they didn’t find an agreement. I was very disappointed”.
He may not have been granted the chance to play, but Arsenal did, however, allow him to travel in order for him to be present at the Stade de France on Friday night.
For him, it will be a chance to see his teammates feature in the game, but also give him a chance to see them one last time.
He added: “I couldn’t miss it. Since I can’t play it, I at least want to be able to feel this final closer, by supporting my team at the stadium. It wouldn’t be the same in front of the television. I really wanted to be there in hope of seeing Saint-Etienne win. It will also give me a chance to say goodbye to my teammates properly, because I left a bit like a thief”.
With his time in France now over, a new chapter of his life will start in London with Arsenal, and the defence in Mikel Arteta’s team a hot mess at times, perhaps the young 19-year-old will be the one to bring some stability to it going forward.
