One of the big disappointments, for Saint-Etienne at least, in Arsenal’s transfer window was their inability to strike a deal for the loan of William Saliba.
With Mikel Arteta feeling the young defender still isn’t ready for the Premier League just yet, negotiations picked up between the two clubs late on in the transfer window.
A deal was close, but it inevitably came crashing down at the last minute, with the Ligue 1 side blaming the Gunners.
It meant Saliba would have to bide his time to get regular football, seeing his path to the first-team blocked by the likes of David Luiz and Gabriel.
Claude Puel has already said how tough it was for Saliba to see the move collapse at the last minute, and this has been confirmed by one of his former teammates, Harold Moukoudi.
Speaking to But! Football Club, the defender, who spent a chunk of last season on loan at Middlesbrough, revealed he had a chat with the 19-year-old after the transfer window shut.
He said: “Willow, I spoke to him. I told him to not get weighed down by it and to continue to work. It’ll pay off. With his qualities, I’m convinced he’ll bounce back. He’s got huge potential, no one can deny that. He needs to hang on, take it on the chin and sit tight, but he’ll succeed. That’s for sure”.
