William Saliba says he watched every Arsenal match last season in a bid to familiarise himself with the playing style of his new teammates.
After an impressive year on loan at Marseille, the France international is hoping to hit the ground running for the Gunners and is excited about the year ahead after a long wait to make his competitive debut.
“Last season, I had a good season with a lot of learning,” he told Arsenal.com.
“I had good moments, we [Marseille] finished second in the table and I had some good moments. I learned a lot and I hope this season will be better than the last.
“I was on loan but I watched every single game of the team.
“It’s good to [do that] because when I was there [in France] some of the players weren’t here so I watched them to try to see how they play so that when I’m back it would be easier to play with players I’d not seen before.”
The 21-year-old also confirmed he’s already held talks with manager Mikel Arteta about his role this season.
“We spoke a little bit on Monday and will speak more,” he said. “My plan is to fight and work with the team, win as much as possible, and grow more.
“It feels good to be back and starting pre-season. I’m so excited to continue training and playing in the friendly games.
“It’s important to be here with the fans, as well as my teammates. I hope we’ll enjoy some good training and games which is important before the start of the season.”
The last time Saliba featured in the red and white was against MK Dons in a pre-season friendly two years ago. It’s anticipated that he’ll be given his second ‘debut’ tonight when Arsenal face Everton in Baltimore.
Looking like huge potential, hope he steps up and can perform in the PL. Big bonus for the team, having a Big Willy.
Yeah, always beats a massive cunt.
Amazing that a few folk down voted you here. They must like really big cavernous ones.
I’m sure he’s extended his contract, just waiting for that #2 shirt to be vacated for the announcement
Nah, he’s not interested in extending right now. That was all baloney.
He wants to see what’s going on first. And to be totally honest, I’d do the same were I in his boots.
That’s the right attitude for him to take, I don’t blame him one bit.
Really think him extending his contract would be massive for the club
This is a refreshing statement from him and great to hear. As fans, especially us gooners, we tend to fear the worst so it’s finally nice to hear him speak so excitedly about the team and season ahead. We may look back at all of this and feel that we’ve handled his situation really well as he grows into an even better player for us. Looking forward to it
I also think it’s important that he mentioned watching matches last season, in preparation. Just pointing out, for all the negative speculators. Two years of unfounded Whaaa! Whaaa! Whaaa!
We’re adding the best young player in France, best young player in Portugal, Brasil starting striker, Ukraine captain.
Unreal transfer window.
Are we signing Mbappe?!
Seriously though, yes it is shaping up to be a very decent window. Zinchenko would push the spending to over £100m for the second summer in a row. Ambition shown.
Curious if we still go for Tielemens as an upgrade on Xhaka.
And will we still go for a winger now that we didn’t land Raphinha. Or kick the can down the road with Pepe as back-up for another year.
https://arseblog.news/2022/05/saliba-crowned-ligue-1-young-player-of-the-year/ 😉
I think we will keep Xhaka and I’m not completely annoyed about that as were strengthening everywhere else. Definitely be interesting if we get another wide forward/striker. Who though?
Zinchenko can play in Xhaka’s left-sided role (l think the now fashionable talk of “roles” instead of “positions” makes a lot of sense). I think that’s part of his attraction to Arteta, in addition to pushing / rotating with / covering for Tierney. Depth and flexibility sound great to me.
Would he be good cover for Partey as well?
Jesus is not starting striker for Brazil…he’s trying to get back into the squad for the World Cup…!
I would love nothing more than for him to extend his contract.. but I just don’t see it. Can anyone convince me otherwise? Because I’d appreciate it! I read recently on some gutter press that he said he’d “never extend”, was that just some bollocks?
I think you answered your own question, with your own question.
Answer is yes: “gutter press” + “never extend” = “bollocks”
Has anyone heard this guy’s voice, and seen how fucking big he is though??
Like, the way he is, Saliba won’t even have to do much to boss it at the back. just showing up, maybe looking the opposition striker in the eye in pre-game and calmly saying “Let’s go.” should be enough for the poor lad to wet his pants and run away traumatised looking for a safe place to hide out in. 😀
Hope to see him tonight in Baltimore so I’ll let you know. Hopefully Arteta gives him a run out.
My thoughts exactly. I’ll be there!
Cool. Hope to see you there. We’re in section 139 in the Arsenal area
Enjoy US gooners!
Very jealous, have a fantastic time!
Can’t wait to see him boss the window licker and old golden boot.
Doing extra homework is the fastest way to get on arteta’s good side
Let’s get the Europa league trophy this season to convince our best players of our progression.
COYG
I think top three is a possibility. Don’t think there’s much between Chelsea, ourselves and those that win nothing
That’s the spirit.
If we hit the ground running, we might even be able to piss off a few people in the title race.
Still. One job at a time. Top four isn’t an option anymore. It’s do or die.
COYG
That’s the key, start well and build momentum from the first game.
From what I saw last night in person, the boys are very hungry and together. Everton could barely get out of their own half.
Our first team full squad:Ramsdale,Turner,Hein,Tommy,New RB, Norton Cuffy, Saliba, White, Gabriel, New LCB, Tierney, Zinchenko, Tavares, Partey,Elneny,Xhaka,Lokonga, Patino,Saka,Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Jesus,Vieira,Eddie, Marquinhos,Balogun
And a wild card signing versatile 8/FW
Was gonna up vote you for not including Cedric.
But then I spotted you’d included Tavares, who, if we sign Zinchenko, might as well get himself a fast food van in Drayton Park.
You got a downvote from me because you left out our captain.
The last time we had a Big Willy in defence, he was Young forever.
Willy Gallas.
Yes but I never heard him referred to as Big Willy.
he scored a couple of goals for us with his willy
But Gallas sure was a knob though
Yes I’m old enough to remember big Willy Young. Decent CB for his time – absolutely no nonsense hard man. I can only imagine what he’d say if he was asked to play out from the back as the current defenders have to. I think the goalkeeper would only try to pass to him once…
Strangely enough, I remember a goal he scored, can’t remember who it was against. He had advanced to the edge of the opponents penalty area, and the ball came out to him, on the volley. In cricketing parlance, he top edged it, and the ball went straight up in the air. It came down and somehow went just under the bar and into the goal. I don’t think that anyone on the pitch had a clue where the ball was until it was too late!
Willie Young.
The man who hacked down a 17 year old West Ham kid through on goal in the 1980 FA Cup Final.
Still, it was only Paul Allen and he’s a little cunt.
We love you Willie! 😂
The 80 in my tag refers to that game. Was a rollercoaster three years of FA cups for a very young gunner. Fa cup finals were really the only televised games then.
It’s been long and hard for Big Willy to get to this point. Having not played for us yet this summer let’s hope he’s not too stiff.
He does come over very confidently
Everyone is hoping he extends. It will be a blow if he doesn’t.
“I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it”, Yeah Big Willy that’s attitude
My daughters were singing the Wowcher girl ad this morning at the breakfast table, after seeing this headline.
This really is LANS.
Like A New Saliba?
Can’t wait to see Kane crumple to the ground after running into him. Will he then futilely cry to the red? We know the answer.
Maybe Kane, Son, and Richarlison will all run into him and fall down at the same time. Not beyond the realm of possibility with that lot.
That front three is telepathetic, all on the same wavelength….when one feels contact, the others react, anywhere they may be. Minority report shit.
Yeah – they all run into Big Willie and shatter into pieces.
Then Ben White runs on with a dustpan and brush.
Like the old school Tom and Jerry cartoons (the Fred Quimby ones from the 40’s and 50’s) 😂
the Saliba saga is far from over…he’ll require assurances to re-up and this might be the proverbial straw for a manager who simply won’t stand for player-based ultimatums, unless their names rhyme with Thaka, Fodegard or Gamsdale…hopefully both parties can find a way to suck it up a bit, put the best interests of the club first and come to some sort of logical compromise
Try not to get caught in the click-bait spin!
it’s clear that your rose-tinted specs have left you in the unenviable position of not being able to decipher fact from fiction…Xhaka has publicly stated that MA’s rules, regarding behavioural transgressions, don’t apply to him…Ode was clearly given playing time assurances, both during his loan from Real then when he signed on, which is why ESR was either shoehorned out wide or coming on as a late-game sub…Ramsdale was undoubtedly handed the starters job as soon as he signed on the dotted line, as Leno barely saw the pitch last year, which is rather ironic considering all the banter following… Read more »
Are you a journalist for the Daily Mirror?
If not, you should be.
look, this all very well, but why are Adidas dressing us to look like Tottenham in training? Someone ought to have a quiet word. White shirts and navy blue shorts are not acceptable at The Arsenal.