Arsenal defender William Saliba is reportedly closing in on a loan move to Olympique de Marseille as per David Ornstein(via The Athletic) and Gunners fans have showcased their disappointment regarding the update.
The north London club bought the Frenchman back in 2019 for £27million from Saint-Etienne. Following his move to the Emirates Stadium, the defender was straightaway sent back on loan to the central-east of France.
The 20-year-old found it difficult to break into Mikel Arteta’s system last season and was sent out on yet another loan stint to OGC Nice in the second half of the season.
According to David Ornstein, the Gunners have once again decided to send the youngster on loan until the end of this season and the defender has chosen to join Marseille. The deal hasn’t been finalized yet but it looks likely.
Metro claimed that the 20-year-old wanted to stay at the Emirates Stadium and fight for his place. However, Edu and Mikel Arteta have decided to offload the defender, with a move for Ben White looking likely.
This update has enraged fans with many of them blaming Arteta for not giving the youngster a chance. Here are some of the tweets:
This is pure ridiculous. How can’t you even give a chance to him in pre season just right prove himself. Arteta is just blatantly judging him without even giving a kid chance. Hope he proves himself in Ligue 1 next year and shows to Arteta what he’s capable of
— Pratik Palan (@Pratikpalan8) July 2, 2021
What a joke, better than all we have
— corey (@CFlyy03) July 2, 2021
So that’s Saliba 5 year contract almost done before he even makes any appearance for Arsenal what kind of deal was this money laundering? He’s not worse than Fofana who was his defensive partner. @AwJeffers
— Muhsin Ali (@Muhsin_ali3) July 2, 2021
People forget Willy is still 20,theres plenty for him yet,I still believe he has a future at Arsenal. Maybe Holding will leave after this coming season
— Arsenal Addict🔴⚪ (@BoniFaceacaca) July 2, 2021
#Arteta is obviously not serious. We’ve paid through the nose to assist other teams. Shambles
— ⚽ ️kehinde 🇳🇬🇵🇸 (@I_AmKehinde) July 2, 2021
We signed him for a lot of money to loan him so that other clubs can use him as a CB. Arteta is as stubborn as Pep without his talent & his pedigree
— Don Draper (@arsenalbarclays) July 2, 2021
Arsenal Fever View:
The north London club has always been a hub for youth development, but it is hard to digest how poorly William Saliba’s situation is being handled by the club. Mikel Arteta is also renowned for developing youngsters. He made Bukayo Saka into a superstar and Emile Smith Rowe has also progressed under his tenure. But, the Spaniard’s reluctance to use the Frenchman is baffling.
The 20-year-old was deemed to be one of the best upcoming centre-backs of French football. He is tall, strong, good on the ball and also unbeatable in the air. The young defender has got all the attributes to become a world-class defender.
Buying Ben White will definitely improve Arsenal’s defence. But the money could have been spent on a top-class creative midfielder, by giving Saliba a chance. The youngster should have opted to join a Premier League club rather than Marseille. He has already showed his worth in Ligue 1 and it is the perfect time to show the world that he can perform in a top competitive league as well.
Read More: Arsenal finally separate from Mesut Ozil: Where did it go wrong
