July 15, (THEWILL) – For the second time in the transfer season, Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille has gained a player on loan from English Premier League club Arsenal with the confirmation of the move of young defender William Saliba, ahead of next season.
Since signing for the Gunners from Saint-Etienne in 2019, Saliba is yet to make an official appearance for the Gunners in any competition. He remained at Saint-Etienne for that season and spent the second half of last campaign at Nice in Ligue 1 where he made 22 appearances in all competitions with impressive stats every time.
It seemed that level of performance was going to get him a secured place in the starting lineup of Mikel Arteta’s squad for next season but the whispers of another loan move out of England was confirmed on Thursday by both Arsenal and Marseille.
Eduardo Gaspar, Arsenal’s Technical Director, who is popularly called “Edu”, spoke about the thinking behind the fresh loan for the defender: “Together with William, we have decided it will be good for his continued development to spend another season on loan. William joined us as an 18-year-old, and he is still only 20, so he is still developing all the time.
“William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be really beneficial for him at Marseille, a good club. To play another season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course be keeping in close contact with William during the season and wish him all the best in France with Marseille.”
As THEWILL reported earlier, Matteo Guendouzi was shipped to Marseille upon his return from his loan to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin. Guendouzi had an unresolved issue with the Gunners’ manager Arteta in the 2019/20 season. There is an option for Marseille to make the move permanent at the end of the season but nothing like that for Saliba.
The reshuffling going on at the Emirates has seen Arteta’s side involved in finalising loans for players outside the club. Jetting out alongside the Marseille-headed Saliba and Guendouzi is the Greek centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos. His destination is another loan move to VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
