Mikel Arteta discusses the development of William Saliba at Arsenal

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised the development of William Saliba.

William Saliba has been a revelation for Arsenal since making his debut for the club at the start of last season. 

Despite the Gunners paying £27 million to sign the centre-back in 2019, he didn’t feature for the north London club for three seasons, as he spent loan stints with Saint Etienne, Nice, and Marseille.

Now, though, the 22-year-old is a key figure for Arsenal at the back. Despite his relative youth, Saliba already plays with so much maturity, and his incredible pace, power, technical skill, and ability to read the game make him a standout centre-back in the Premier League.

The 10-cap France international has established himself as a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium, and the club were able to tie him down to a new long-term contract in July 2023.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Saliba is consistently at the heart of his rearguard for years to come. 

Saliba a star man for Arsenal

The Spanish coach certainly appreciates Saliba’s qualities. Speaking ahead of the Gunner’s Champions League clash with French outfit Lens, he said, “when you look how he’s developing, his role in the team, the level and consistency he’s shown in the last year or so, it’s remarkable. I don’t think you will find a lot of centre backs doing what he’s doing,” as quoted by the club’s official website.

“The qualities he has, the presence, the physicality and composure to be a leader in the back line for a big club like us, it’s a huge compliment.”

It is vital for Arsenal that Saliba is able to stay fit throughout the campaign. His injury towards the end of last season coincided with the club’s Premier League title bid falling apart. Saliba himself has recently stated that he believes, if he had stayed fit, the Gunners would have won the league.

Arteta does have covering options that can allow him to rotate and protect Saliba at times this season. The likes of Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior, and Declan Rice can all adopt a centre-back berth if required. The manager will need to use his squad wisely to ensure his key players can make it through the gruelling campaign relatively unscathed.