William Saliba posts message on his Arsenal transfer after six years at the club
Arsenal have completed a deal to sign fresh competition for William Saliba as the defender reflected on his time at the Emirates.
Saliba’s partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes has been rock-solid across the past three seasons and has provided the foundations for Arsenal’s three successive Premier League title charges under Mikel Arteta.
Gabriel picking up a season-ending hamstring injury in April left Saliba and Jakub Kiwior to see out the run-in at the back for Arsenal, but they came up short both domestically and in the Champions League.
Arteta has addressed Arsenal’s lack of central defensive depth with the £16.5million signing of Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia being completed on Thursday, but he’s unlikely to displace Saliba and Gabriel.
Saliba sends emotional message after six years at Arsenal
Both Gabriel and Saliba are firm contenders when discussing the world’s premier centre-backs, but the latter’s path to becoming an Arsenal regular hasn’t been straight forward since his arrival six years ago.
Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint-Etienne on 25 July 2019, paying a total of £27m for the then 18-year-old defender before sending him out on three successive loan spells before his eventual debut in 2022.
Saliba spent time back at Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille in Ligue 1 before truly establishing himself at Arsenal, and the now 24-year-old posted on his Instagram story to reflect on his time at the Emirates.
The France international shared Arsenal’s original announcement of his transfer back in 2019, and said; “six years…” alongside a ‘love heart’ emoji.
Saliba’s status gives Arsenal and Arteta no excuse next season
Football Insider Verdict
With Gabriel firmly on his way back to full fitness and ready to partner Saliba once more, Arsenal again have the foundations needed to win a Premier League title and have added elsewhere in order to do so.
The arrivals of Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard strengthen the Gunners’ spine even further, and Viktor Gyokeres’ imminent signing gives Arteta the number nine he has desperately needed.
Noni Madeuke and potentially Eberechi Eze will also bolster Arsenal’s attacking stocks even further next season, but with such a vast array of talent across the pitch, the new campaign is shaping up to be all-or-nothing for Arteta.