How William Saliba became key for Arsenal? When William Saliba arrived at London Colney in the summer of 2020 to belatedly begin his Arsenal career, the view from the more cynical corners of the training ground was damning. Saliba had been signed from Saint-Etienne for €30 million in 2019 and immediately loaned back to the French Ligue 1 club for a season, by the end of which Mikel Arteta had replaced Unai Emery as head coach and the usual turnover of backroom staff had occurred again.
How William Saliba became key for Arsenal?
The squad was also in a state of flux by that stage, with Arteta determined to stamp his authority on a group that had lost direction and discipline. There was a desire to refresh his options with youthful, hungry players and it seemed logical that a center-back then barely 20 years old, whom the club had invested a large amount in a year earlier, would form a key part of his plans. However, any continuation of the progress made to this point would see Saliba establish himself as one of the most coveted defenders in the game. Far from when the youngster divided opinion, signing the defender to a new deal is now considered the next major milestone in Arsenal cementing their position as title challengers for years to come.
