“Bid for him should be around £90m”, “Give this guy a chance” – Arsenal fans insist Gunners ‘need’ 21-year-old at Emirates next season after latest update
Arsenal fans have encouraged Mikel Arteta to give young defender William Saliba a chance next season following a report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners signed the French central-defender in 2019 from Saint-Etienne. However, the 21-year-old is yet to make a senior appearance so far for the north London club, having been sent out on loan three times.
Saliba enjoyed a wonderful campaign on loan for Marseille last term where he played 52 times and was named the Ligue 1 'Young Player of the Season'. The defender also made his debut for the French national team, where he has since made five appearances.
Numerous reports have previously stated that Arteta has not been impressed with Saliba's attitude, but according to Romano, rumours linking the starlet away from Arsenal on a loan move are 'wide of the mark'. He added that the club are counting on him to make an impact for the club next season.
#AFC 
William Saliba situation. Rumours on loan move are wide of mark, Arsenal board and Mikel Arteta both count on Saliba as part of the team for next season. ⚪️🔴 #AFC
Been told situation could only change in case of crazy bid. Arsenal trust him - keen on discussing a new contract. https://t.co/HdelHSWimu
The Italian journalist has also claimed that the club are keen to extend Saliba's contract, which currently has two years remaining on it.
Supporters were encouraged by Romano's claims as they took to Twitter to encourage the Gunners to give Saliba a chance in the first-team in the upcoming campaign:
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages Crazy bid for him should be around £90m
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages W I like what the club is doing
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages we don't need to sell he will get 30+ games and one of top talents in Europe
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages 2022/2023 will be his breakthrough season! ⭐️🔥
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages Arsenal should not be unfortunate please …. We need this boy. We can’t rely on holding as back up plan
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages Come back we love you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
🏾🥺@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages Keep him at all cost please. 🙏🏾🥺
@FabrizioRomano @GettyImages Give this guy a chance to prove himself
William Saliba confirms he is returning to Arsenal for next season
Following incredibly impressive loan spells at Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille, Saliba will be desperate to showcase his talent in the Premier League ahead of the World Cup later this year.
However, he will face stiff competition from the likes of Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes to become Arteta's first-choice centre-defender. Saliba has insisted he wants to be given a chance by the club.
The youngster told Telefoot (per Arseblog):
“I belong to Arsenal, I still have two years left. I will be back with Arsenal. I have played zero matches and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club."
About his time at Marseille, Saliba commented:
“It’s as if I stayed at least two to three years, it’s really special. Even if I don’t come back to Marseille, I’ll never forget. Thanks to Marseille, I’ve come through a great milestone and it was they who helped boost my confidence.”
"J'appartiens à Arsenal, il me reste encore deux ans. Je serais à la reprise avec Arsenal. J'ai fait zéro match et j'ai quand même envie de leur montrer mon vrai visage et d'avoir la chance de jouer pour ces supporters et ce grand club."
Saliba sur son avenir @JulienMaynard https://t.co/PpkmH8k1Va