Mikel Arteta has built a fantastic squad at Arsenal.
The Gunners are one of the best clubs in the world today and are challenging for all four trophies that are up for grabs.
Every player Arteta has signed for his current squad has impressed, and they are the reason Arsenal are so good right now.
However, the Premier League leaders’ most important player is actually someone who was signed by Arteta’s predecessor, Unai Emery – William Saliba.
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William Saliba outshines every player in Arsenal’s history in one key stat
Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019.
The Gunners sent the French defender back to Saint-Etienne on loan, and he then had to spend two more spells away from the Gunners at Nice and Marseille.
Saliba returned to Arsenal in 2022, and he has been undroppable since.
When the Frenchman starts, the North Londoners are a better side and win more often than not.
In fact, according to Livescore, Saliba has the best win percentage out of any player in Arsenal’s history who has played over 100 games – 67.6 per cent.
Gunners Invincibles Lauren and Ashley Cole rank second and third, respectively, on that list with win percentages of 66 and 64.1.
The fact that Saliba is outshining them shows that he is Arsenal’s most important player right now, ahead of the likes of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
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William Saliba has already proven that he is Arsenal through and through
Saliba has admitted many times that he was an Arsenal fan growing up.
The defender was desperate to play for the Gunners as a result and refused to push for a move in his first years at the club when his manager, Arteta, didn’t give him any opportunities.
Furthermore, after he established himself as one of the best defenders in the world, he had the opportunity to sign for Real Madrid.
Despite that, Saliba rejected them and signed a new contract, and the reason behind his decision shows that he is Arsenal through and through.
He said, as per The Sun: “I didn’t win anything here except… what’s the cup we won? The Community Shield.
“So yes, only Community Shield. I’ve done nothing for this club to think about leaving.
“I cannot leave this club without giving them something back. My first choice was to stay here and win everything first.”
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