“You wouldn’t even put it together” - Declan Rice describes William Saliba’s friendship with surprise Arsenal star
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice claims William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu are extremely close, which may come as a surprise to many. Both players had their struggles with grasping the English language after joining the Gunners but have gotten better over time.
However, they seemed to have forged a strong relationship despite the language barrier. They do often find themselves playing in the backline, having done so on 54 occasions across all competitions so far without any joint goal contributions.
Speaking to Arsenal's media channels and gesturing to Leandro Trossard about the pair's closeness, Rice said (via Metro):
"Him and Saliba are like... you wouldn't even put it together."
Heading into the new season, it's unsure as to whether Tomiyasu will be getting regular minutes, while his French teammate is considered a sure-shot starter. The former has also had his share of injury troubles and missed 13 matches across all competitions last campaign.
With the right-back slot tied down by Ben White, the Japan international will have to look for minutes on the opposite flank. However, the likes of Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and new signing Riccardo Calafiori are all fighting for game time in that position.
On the other hand, Saliba's position alongside Brazilian teammate Gabriel in central defence looks assured. The 23-year-old centre-back played every single Premier League match in the 2023-24 season, bagging two goals and an assist.
He will most certainly find a place in Mikel Arteta's starting XI when Arsenal host Wolves at the Emirates for their first league match on Saturday (August 17).
When Declan Rice named his closest friend at Arsenal
It's only been a season since Declan Rice came to the Emirates, but he already seems to have found some close friends. Surprisingly, the England international said central defender Gabriel is one of his closest buddies.
The former West Ham midfielder also named Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aaron Ramsdalem and Gabriel Jesus in the conversation.
Speaking about this in January this year, Rice said (via Arsenal Insider):
"To be fair, I've formed a lot of good relationships here. There's a lot of different cultures and I'm really close with Gabriel Magalhaes, we got on so, so well. Alex Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, and Aaron Ramsdale too."
To date, Rice and Gabriel have shared the pitch 49 times for the Gunners, bagging two joint goal contributions. With the midfielder on corner duty, the duo will be looking to combine and find the net more often this season.