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William Saliba future latest: ‘We have to talk’ Marseille not giving up on permanent deal

William Saliba Marseille May 2022

Marseille have not given up hope of signing William Saliba on a permanent basis despite Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insisting he still has a future with the Gunners.

Saliba spent last season on loan with Marseille and was a revelation for them. Indeed he was named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year so it is no surprise Marseille want him back. But Arteta has other ideas and has spoken of his desire to keep hold.

The Gunners boss has explained his reasoning behind last season’s loan deal. And he believes the Gunners will reap the benefits in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

The central defender made 52 appearances in all competitions for Marseille. That is way more than he would have got with the Gunners. However there is now the opportunity to win a first-team place with Arsenal.

But that is not deterring Marseille. Their president Pablo Longoria says they will do all they can to convince Arsenal to sell. Longoria is very thankful to the Gunners for loaning out Saliba in the first place. Now he hopes they will go one step further and sell.

“We had a lot of conversations analysing William Saliba’s season, especially in the last few days,” Longoria told RMC Sports. “He’s coming off an extraordinary season, with one of the highest number of matches played in Europe.

“He also joined the France team, which is incredible at his age. We discussed a lot internally about what we can do, to find out what the possibilities are. We respect his club, we have to thank Arsenal. It’s a friendly club that helped us a lot during the last transfer window. We have very good relations.

William Saliba wants to fight for his place at Arsenal

William Saliba wants to fight for his place at Arsenal

William Saliba wants his Arsenal return and is ready to fight for his place in the Arsenal back four

“We have to talk to each other, see if there is the possibility of reaching an agreement between the clubs, there is the player’s will, the club’s will. But above all, we must respect Arsenal.”

William Saliba has a decision to make

Even though Mikel Arteta has insisted Sailba is not for sale, the player’s thoughts have to come into the equation. The 21-year-old is said to be open to the idea of joining Marseille permanently. Why wouldn’t he be. He has just come off the best season in his fledgling career. Playing regular football is sure to appeal.

Swapping that for the bench at Arsenal will not appeal. Longoria also seemed to hint that Saliba would prefer to make the switch. And Arsenal should grant him his wish.

Saying all that, Sailba could now get the chance he has been waiting for. And if Arteta has promised him his chance then it will be difficult to walk away from. Arsenal are likely to have the last say and Marseille look set to be disappointed.

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