The Gunners have reportedly agreed personal terms with French center back William Saliba, according to reports in French outlet L’Equipe.
The defender made just 19 appearances this season but it seems he did enough to convince the North London club to part with a sizable amount.
The 18-year-old is rated as one of the most promising young defenders to emerge from France and is thought to have a high ceiling in terms of potential.
The report in L’Equipe claims that Arsenal have agreed on a 5-year deal with the player and are now looking to thrash out a deal with his club Saint Etienne. It is believed that the French club are looking for a fee in the region of £25m(as per Mirror) and that should be enough to secure the signature of the player.
The only catch in this deal is the fact that Saint Etienne are in no mood to sell the player and if a deal was to be struck, they would want the player back on loan for the next season. So, even if a deal goes through it is likely that the young defender will go back to France for one more year.
It is no secret that the Gunners have suffered from defensive issues in the past and there will be players needed to reinforce this area of the squad. The defense will be bolstered to a certain extent with the return of Rob Holding from a long-term injury and that will go a long way in shoring up the back line.
Ideally, Arsenal would like to have Saliba with the team for the upcoming season but making a compromise like this for a player of his potential is something worth considering. He can continue his footballing education in France and he is sure to come to the Emirates as a more improved player.
The North London club will be hoping that Saint Etienne will agree to a fee sooner rather than later and the fact that they have agreed on personal terms with Saliba should provide them with a lot of encouragement. Arsenal are trying to get back into the Champions League and for that to happen, they will have to be very smart in the transfer market and this deal is proof of them doing that.
