William Saliba is now one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s teamsheet.
The Frenchman has developed into arguably the best centre-back in world football and has played a huge role in Arsenal winning the Premier League title this season.
However, things were not always this straightforward for Saliba at the Emirates Stadium.
Before becoming a superstar in north London, there was a period when many Arsenal fans feared he would never get his chance under Arteta.
Josh Kroenke has now revealed what he was thinking behind the scenes during that saga.
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Josh Kroenke reveals how he felt during William Saliba’s difficult Arsenal spell
It is easy to forget now, but William Saliba’s early Arsenal career was surrounded by uncertainty.
The defender arrived with a huge reputation after Arsenal spent a significant fee to sign him from Saint-Etienne as a teenager.
Yet instead of immediately becoming part of the first-team picture, Saliba spent years away from the club on loan.
Many supporters questioned why Arsenal had invested so much money in a player who did not seem to be featuring in Mikel Arteta’s plans. As the months went on, the debate only became louder.
Some fans feared Arsenal had made a costly mistake, while others worried the Gunners’ boss simply did not rate the young Frenchman highly enough.
Behind the scenes, Kroenke was watching everything unfold from the United States.
The Arsenal owner admitted he was hopeful Saliba would eventually prove everyone right, but he was never going to interfere with the football decisions being made.
Kroenke said, as per The Standard: “We were transitioning to Mikel by the time William rejoined us (from loan). There were some thoughts on the front end about William rejoining our squad that were very well covered. I’ll let you guys fill in all those blanks.
“I was sitting over in America laughing, going, ‘Please let this kid work out!’
“But I was never going to say, ‘Hey, someone told me a few years ago that this kid was going to be great!’ What am I going to do? No. They go do it themselves. They make the decisions.”
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William Saliba has completely justified Arsenal’s patience
Looking back now, it is difficult to imagine Arsenal without Saliba.
The Frenchman has become the foundation of Arteta’s defence and one of the biggest reasons why the Gunners are champions of England again. His composure, athleticism and consistency have elevated the club to another level over the last few seasons.
That is why the noise surrounding Saliba’s early years at the club now feels so distant.
Arteta’s decision-making was heavily criticised at the time, but both he and Saliba deserve enormous credit for how the situation eventually turned out.
Arsenal took their time, Saliba kept developing, and the end result is one of the best defenders the club has had in the modern era.
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