Arsenal legend can’t believe shocking thing said about ‘phenomenal’ £27m star

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Martin Keown has leapt to the defence of Arsenal centre-back William Saliba.

Arsenal defender William Saliba was recently criticised by iconic former France international Marcel Desailly.

Arsenal fans will all have been united in disagreement with Desailly’s comments. After all, Saliba has been a revelation for the north London club since making his debut at the start of last season.

The £27 million Frenchman had to wait for his chance to shine at the Emirates Stadium, having initially signed for the Gunners in the summer of 2019. Loan spells with Saint-Etienne, Nice, and Marseille delayed his debut. However, since coming into Mikel Arteta’s team, Saliba hasn’t looked back.

Despite still only being 22-years-old, he is already a remarkable composed and assured presence at the back.

Against Sevilla, in a Champions League group stage encounter on Wednesday evening, Saliba was once again in fine form. The 10-cap France international produced one spectacular tackle in the first half which provoked roars of approval from the Emirates Stadium faithful.

Arsenal legend and former ‘Invincible’ Martin Keown, who made 459 appearances for the club across two spells in his playing career, has now hit back against Desailly’s comments. 

Martin Keown talks up William Saliba

Speaking on TNT Sports, Keown said, “I really can’t understand that because [Marcel] Desailly, with respect, of course he was an outstanding central defender. But I think Saliba has got a complete skillset, right now he’s probably one of the best defenders in Europe.”

“He has everything you need, his pace is phenomenal, his power, and reads the situation really well. I’m really surprised by that comment, we love having him here at Arsenal because he’s the complete player.”

Arsenal fans, and indeed Arteta, will be in agreement with Keown. Saliba is a firm fan-favourite, and the club will be keen to keep him on the books for as long as they possibly can. Successfully tying Saliba down to a new long-term contract earlier this year was a huge boost for Arsenal.

The biggest fear surrounding Saliba now will be to do with his fitness. His injury last season coincided with the Gunners’ Premier League title push falling apart late on. It would be a disaster for Arsenal if Saliba were to be sidelined for any significant period during the current campaign.