Loaned to Marseille for the season to get the game time that Mikel Arteta, for some reason, still didn’t feel he was ready for at the Emirates, William Saliba is quickly confirming why Arsenal spent so much to get him from AS Saint-Etienne.
He’s taken to Jorge Sampaoli’s game plan like a duck to water, and has earned himself a lot of praise for his performances since the start of the campaign.
Frank Leboeuf, who won the 1998 World Cup with France, is among those piling on, in a good way, lauding the young defender in a chat with the Ligue 1’s official website, who asked him his two cents on a bunch of centre-backs currently showcasing their talents in the top French tier.
Saliba was the first, and this is what he had to say: “He’s a player in the making. He made a small mistake in the Europa League against Lazio before the international break, but it happens to everyone. It happened to me. It happened to Laurent Blanc in the Europa League final against Parma. It happened to Varane with Real Madrid, with Lizarazu at OM. It’s part of football, but William Saliba is a great player, very young. He’s a future great”.
After all, the 20-year-old has been a rock at the heart of Sampaoli’s defence, almost being ever present, only missing one game all season, which was towards the end of September in a 0-0 draw against Angers as Marseille were playing three games in seven days.
With no option to buy attached to the loan deal agreed by Arsenal with Marseille, Saliba will return to the Emirates at the end of the season, where Arteta will certainly have to consider including him in his first-team plans going forward.
If he doesn’t, there may be riots down Hornsey Road.
