Alan Shearer says ‘there had to have been doubts’ about William Saliba at Arsenal because he was sent out on loan for a number of seasons before his long-awaited debut.
The now-France international, 21, was signed in 2019 as a teenager under the stewardship of Unai Emery, but it wasn’t until Crystal Palace on the opening day of the 2022/23 season and under Mikel Arteta, that he was handed his Arsenal debut.
Saliba spent several seasons on-loan in France, including his best spell in the colours of Marseille last season, where he thrived alongside some familiar faces, such as Matteo Guendouzi.
It didn’t help Saliba that, when he was signed, the man who brought him in, who is now at Aston Villa, was sacked within months, added to the coronavirus halting football and everyday life.
But the man behind all those decisions, Mikel Arteta, knew what he was doing all along, even if the noise and cries were pretty loud from the outside.
And now Arsenal, Arteta and Saliba himself are reaping the rewards of it, with Shearer praising the centre-back’s transformation, as he told Premier League Productions (25/02/23 at 2:20 pm).
“There had to have been doubts for him to send him out again,” said Shearer. “When you go out you think ‘okay, you might go out for a season. Maybe 18 months’.
“But to go again. What is it two-and-a-half years? To be away on loan that long. But they also must have thought ‘this guy has got something about him’.
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“Even listening to him. He seems very mature for his age and the way he is talking. It’s inevitable, at that age, you are going to have bumps in the road. You are going to make mistakes. But it’s how you recover and get back from them.
“I like his attitude. I think he is going to be around for a long time.”
ARSENAL BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
They might be ahead of their project, but the future in north London looks pretty bright.
From William Saliba to Bukayo Saka, even if this Arsenal side don’t win the Premier League title this season, one thing is for sure, they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Of course, adding that elusive trophy to the club’s cabinet and becoming champions of England will well and truly elevate the status of these players, as well as provide them with confidence to dominate in years to come.
In other news, £35m Giorgio Scalvini opens door to Liverpool or Tottenham move
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