Marseille is still hoping to sign William Saliba on a permanent basis, despite Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisting he has a future with the Gunners.
Saliba was a revelation for Marseille last season while on loan. He was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, so it’s no surprise that Marseille wants him back. Arteta, on the other hand, has other plans and has stated his desire to maintain control.
The Gunners manager has explained why he made the loan move last season. And he believes the Gunners will benefit from it in the 2022/23 Premier League season.
For Marseille, the central defender appeared in 52 games across all competitions. That is significantly more than he would have received with the Gunners. However, there is now a chance to break into Arsenal’s first team.
Marseille, however, is undeterred. Their president, Pablo Longoria, has stated that they will do everything possible to persuade Arsenal to sell. Longoria is grateful to Arsenal for loaning out Saliba in the first place. Now he hopes they will take the next step and sell.
“We had a lot of conversations, especially in the last few days, about William Saliba’s season,” Longoria told RMC Sports. “He’s coming off an incredible season, with one of the most matches played in Europe.”
“At his age, he also joined the France team, which is incredible.” We had a lot of internal discussions about what we could do to figure out what our options were. We respect his club, and we must thank Arsenal. It’s a welcoming club that assisted us greatly during the previous transfer window. We have excellent working relationships.
“We need to talk to each other and see if we can reach an agreement between the clubs; there is the player’s will and the club’s will.” Above all, we have to respect Arsenal.”
William Saliba must make a choice.
Even though Mikel Arteta has stated that Sailba is not for sale, the player’s thoughts must be considered. The 21-year-old is said to be open to a permanent move to Marseille. He shouldn’t be. He has just finished the best season of his young career. Playing regular football will undoubtedly appeal.
Changing that for a bench spot at Arsenal will not be appealing. Longoria also seemed to imply that Saliba would prefer the change. And Arsenal should grant his request.
Having said that, Sailba may now get the opportunity he has been waiting for. And if Arteta has promised him his chance, it will be difficult to refuse. Arsenal will most likely have the final say, while Marseille will be disappointed.
