Marseille have confirmed the loan signing of Arsenal defender William Saliba for the upcoming 2021/22 season.
Saliba has yet to make an official appearance for the Gunners who joined them in 2019 – he stayed at Saint-Etienne during that season – and spent the second half of the last campaign in Nice, impressing while making 22 appearances in all competitions.
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– Olympique de Marseille ?? ?? (@OM_English) July 15, 2021
Talk about a loan flight to Marseille has made the rounds often in the last month and both clubs have now confirmed the deal, with Arsenal’s technical manager Edu saying: “Together with William we have decided that it will be good for his further development to spend further a season on loan. William joined as an 18-year-old and he is still only 20, so he is still evolving all the time.
“William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be of great benefit to him in Marseille, a good club. Playing a new season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course keep in close contact with William during the season and wishes him all the best in France with Marseille. “
Saliba will join former shooter Matteo Guendouzi in the south of France. The midfielder fell out of favor under Mikel Arteta towards the end of the 2019/20 season and spent time in Hertha Berlin last semester. His move to Marseille is also a loan, but there is an alternative for the French attire to make the move permanent.
Most of Arsenal’s deals so far this summer have been to complete outgoing loans. Konstantinos Mavropanos has resigned temporarily with Saliba and Guendouzi, although he will spend time in Germany in Stuttgart.
However, there are still plenty of offers for the North London side. As Nuno Tavares has already taken off, there are plans to bring in Brighton defender Ben White and Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, while Leicester’s James Maddison is also a rumored target.
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