DBasia.news – Mikel Arteta has given William Saliba a chance in the Arsenal first team next season.
The French centre-back returned to north London this summer after an impressive season on loan at Olympique Marseille.
Marseille wanted to sign Saliba on a permanent basis, but the player expressed his desire to return to the Gunners and fight for his place in the team.
Mertesacker, Arsenal’s youth academy director, believes Saliba should have got his chance.
“What William did at Marseille was incredible,” the former defender told HaytersTV.
“So for us to really test him this summer and see what works best for him.”
“He has clearly made his mark at his young age, playing in the premier leagues in Europe and being one of the best players says it all. So why not use him?”
Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019 but is yet to make a senior appearance for the club. Instead, he was sent back on loan to Saint-Etienne, and then to Nice and Marseille.
Saliba played a key role for the Ligue 1 side last season, making 51 appearances in all competitions and being asked about joining the club on a permanent basis.
However, both Saliba and Arteta have made it clear that the player’s future is in the Premier League side, with the 21-year-old player saying in June: “I belong to Arsenal, and I still have two years there. I will be there for pre-season. with Arsenal.