Arsenal’s forgotten man William Saliba has returned to London from his loan spell with OGC Nice only to be dispatched back to France on yet another season-long loan – this time to Olympique de Marseille. The 20-year-old centre-back has done well last season and was probably hoping that his good performances would warrant a place in Mikel Arteta’s side for the 2021/22 season. Apparently not.Signed for $33 million in the summer of 2019, Saliba arrived in North London with a reputation as arguably the most promising central defender France have produced since Raphael Varane. However, as his third season on Arsenal’s books rapidly approaches – Saliba is yet to play a game for the Gunners. William Saliba has landed in Marseille. Best of luck, Wilo 🤗 #afc pic.twitter.com/Yi0MiJ46zP— Arsenal Harmony (@ArsenalHarmoni) July 13, 2021 Following his arrival two years ago while Unai Emery was still at the Gunners helm, Saliba was sent back on loan to former side Saint Etienne to gain further experience and return to Arsenal a more well-rounded prospect. Last season it was time for another loan. After wasting the first half of the campaign in London, he set off back to his native France again. In a Nice side that largely underperformed in Ligue 1, Saliba impressed alongside Barcelona loanee Jean-Clair Todibo in the heart of defence. He made an immediate impact in the French Riviera, winning Nice’s player of the month for January and has missed only two games during his loan spell there.Makings of something big for the sleeping giants of MarseilleSaliba had intended to compete for a place this time round but, with Arsenal attempting to sign Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Ben White, it was decided he should head out again. Saliba would come straight into contention for a starting position at the Stade Velodrome under the guidance of head coach Jorge Sampaoli, whose men will play Europa League football in 2021-22. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @elbalonosemancha Few signings in recent Premier League history have gone as poorly as that of Saliba to Arsenal. His contract runs until 2024 and he remains a part of the club’s long-term thinking, albeit under the old management. It’s sad to see such a promising player being frozen out of the club that spent big money to get him signed. Hopefully, he continues to progress playing in the familiar surroundings of the French south coast.
