According to a recent report from French media outlet L’Equipe, (as cited by Sports Witness) Arsenal outcast William Saliba desperately wants to leave the London club in January even if it means taking a huge pay cut which will slash his monthly salary from £160k to £90k.
Last summer, the French centre-back left Saint-Etienne to join the Gunners for a fee of around £27 million before he was loaned back to the Ligue 1 side for the subsequent season. However, the 19-year-old has been left frustrated over the lack of first-team opportunities as he seems to have his heart set on a move elsewhere.
What Went Wrong For Saliba In England?
Saliba’s game time has been strictly restricted to the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy this season after Arteta publicly stated that the Frenchman ‘is not yet on the Premier League level’. Saliba managed to get some game time in the Papa John’s trophy but ended up inviting more troubles as he was sent off in the 89th minute as the Gunners lost 3-0 to AFC Wimbledon in the knockout stages. The 19-year-old defender has been frozen out ever since, and there doesn’t seem to be any way back for him into Arteta’s plans in the coming months. The Spaniard refused to put faith in Saliba even when he ran out of options at the back – with Pablo Mari, Shkodran Mustafi, and Callum Chambers sidelined in the earlier stages of the campaign. Instead, the youngster was axed from Arsenal’s 25-man squad list for the Europa League at the start of the season.
The Bondy-born prospect’s current situation at the Emirates sounds pathetic as he’s still unsure of his future at the North London club and given the present circumstances, we can expect William Saliba to leave Arsenal on loan this month.
Should Arteta Sanction His Departure?
As mentioned above, it might take some time before Mikel Arteta finally decides to promote Saliba to the first-team set-up, so a short term move away from England seems to be the best option available at this moment. At 19, Saliba has a lot to learn, and regular game time somewhere else will certainly strengthen his case in the future.
“It’s something that we are discussing at the moment, what’s the best thing for us to do. It will be decided soon.” – The Spanish coach revealed when asked on the possibility of the Frenchman leaving in January.
Several clubs in France, Germany, and the Netherlands are keen on securing the defender’s services as the Gunners are expected to receive multiple offers for the young centre-back in the upcoming days.
