Arsenal have submitted another bid in their quest to sign William Saliba from the French club Saint-Etienne, according to reports in the Sun.
This latest offer from the North London club is said to be in the region of £30m. The 18-year-old has caught the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham but it is the former that is leading the race to sign him.
This was confirmed by Manu Lonjon of Yahoo Sports who said that the new bid was close to what the French club have been asking for Saliba who plies his trade as a center back.
It has been a breakout season for Saliba as he made an impression for the Saint-Etienne side and ended up making 16 appearances for the first team. His impressive performances have captured the attention of those in charge of the Emirates club and that has led to them making a bid for the youngster.
Arsenal have already agreed terms with the youngster, but what has made this deal take some time to be completed is the fact that Saint-Etienne are willing to let Saliba go only under the condition that he be loaned back for the 2019/20 season.
It appears that the Gunners would like to keep him but they will be forced to send him back to the French club to get the deal over the line. Signing a player such as Saliba is very much in line with the way the Gunners have been targeting players in the recent past.
This was most exemplified by the success of new players such as Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi. By getting such young and talented players, the Gunners are trying to lay the foundations for a successful future.
It is no secret that Arsenal’s back-line is one that needs a lot of work to be done as it has often been the club’s undoing. Getting back into the Champions League will be the priority for the club and having a stable and settled defense is going to be key for that to happen.
Saliba is one that is for the future but if the London club are somehow able to convince Saint-Etienne to not send him back on loan, it will be very beneficial for the club.
