Mikel Arteta has sounded a positive note over William Saliba, saying the young defender has made a big improvement after some difficult things to deal with on and off the pitch.
The 19 year old came with high expectations, but has yet to make his full debut for the club, with the manager seemingly cautious to throw him in at Premier League level. His absence from the Europa League squad came after the club failed to complete the paperwork for his loan back to Saint-Etienne, but it seems as if he’s making progress and impressing in the U21/U23 games he’s appearing in.
Speaking ahead of our final groups stage game against Dundalk on Thursday, Arteta was asked about when the Frenchman might appear.
“Whenever we have the spaces and we believe that he’s ready to play with us,” he said.
“To be fair, he’s made massive improvements in the last few months and it’s been a really tricky situation for him.
“As I mentioned before, we designed a pathway for him and there were a lot of things that happened to him in his personal life and professionally as well.
“Now we’ve made some steps forwards, he’s working really hard and played for the under-21s again.
“That was a good game because Martinelli finally came back for 45 minutes, so I think it was a really positive day for us in terms of that.”
As for what might happen in January, he continued, “It’s something that we are discussing at the moment, what’s the best thing for us to do.
“It will be decided soon.”
Arsenal have already qualified for the knock-out stages, and in terms of tomorrow’s team, Arteta said, “We have a few kids here. We left a few players at home as well.
“There are a lot of games and we need a complete training week as well, which I think is going to benefit us, but we’re still going to have a very competitive team to play tomorrow.”
The Saliba signing reflects really badly on the club.
Potential transfer targets will be looking at us and thinking:
”Arsenal is a train wreck organisation, run by complete basket cases”
In drawing that conclusion, they’d certainly be onto something…..
He‘s a kid with a handful of professional football games who just lost his mother weeks before moving to a new country.
What kind of prick someone has to be to not grant him a few months acclimatisation after such a challenging time. Leave this kid alone and give him some time. He’ll come good. There are things in life that are bigger than football.
the only bit that reflects badly on us is the missing the deadline with paperwork bit.
players will look at our focus on players as people and will be encouraged.
we need as much good will as we can at the moment, and on that front we are one of if not the most reputable in those terms.
True, I’m sure most people agree, but this whole saliba thing is so stupid, I mean the whole thing, loaning him out, not letting him play the finals of the French cup game like he being prepped for a champions league final, then not having him in the squad, then NOT loaning him back again, admittedly that was a cock up What is the point of signing a player for 4 year contract, and not actually using him for two years? By the 3rd year, he’d be looking for a way out of arsenal. Lo and behold we’ve got another… Read more »
About time.. Hope the development continues steadily and maybe we can see him establish himself in the last couple of months this season.
I’m glad. I saw a video on YouTube Today where Laca and Saliba had to name as many french Arsenal players as possible, and when Laca said “Saliba” he laughed and said “I’m not an arsenal player yet”. It’s hard to defend leaving him out of the Europa League squad when players like Mustafi, who is out of contract in summer, made it
I like him and I think he’s going to be fantastic for us. He’s got a lot of talent and is very young, if he gets his chance I think he’ll take it. Mikel made a big mistake leaving him out of the Europa League squad, hopefully he doesn’t make another one sending him out on loan. He needs to stay and feel at home, he’s our future.
The thing with arteta now (for me at least) is that it’s difficult to read what he’s really feeling behind any words he uses. He’s clever and deliberate in his selection and skates around what you want to know expertly. I think there’s a great chance we won’t see saliba this season and there’s a decent chance now that we’ll never see him.
Another Arteta soundbite guaranteed to infuriate.
If the lad has ‘improved’ that much – how about selecting him…? 🙄
He needs time still ok. Just a few more seasons. Be patient
He’s already spent 2 of the 4 year contract he has signed with arsenal, by the 3rd year he’s as good as gone, question is at what point does the club / manager feel the urgency to integrate him into the first team and convince him that he has a long term future here than anywhere else.
you can’t select him if he is not in any of the registered squads…
He’s in the U23 squad, so can play for the first team in the Preier League. Same as Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah, Nelson, Willock, Smith Rowe…
I guess he must have been pretty poor to start with so a big improvement isn’t necessarily enough
Quelle surprise. This doesn’t pass the BS test. He was ready ages ago. The guy who manages the U23s said he was far too good for that level. Now we have to wait until January to see if he makes the 25 man squad.
Arteta made a mistake and his judgement of players is very suspect.
I mean when I look up the Arsenal Squad on the PL site, he is in the squad. But I was never quite sure. But it is hard to see which game would suit him and if this tricky schedule now is the “perfect time”.
There was a lot of missmanagement involved with Saliba. I think the time wasn’t completly wasted, but from a playing experience perspective it probably is. I really hope they find a good way for the rest of the year.
Up The Arsenal!
Think a younger, more full of himself Mourinho … (more juvenile too)
Or CR7s attitude, work rate and ego in a managers seat , all with a very important touch of ‘Underdog’ thrown in the mix
Artists knows he made a mistake in not playing Saliva. These comments are laying the groundwork to get Saliva in without admitting a mistake.
Stupid auto correct!
I think its pretty obvious autocorrect. its not like you were talking about harry kane!
He was sent off in a 3-0 loss to Wimbledon in u21 match. If he was good he would be playing in first team like Gabriel.
He actually played really good in that game and was sent off for something that shouldn’t have been a red akinola was sent off too, do some research before you make blind assumptions please.
He is quite a bit younger and went through some tough times that most of us would find challenging. Some of our best ever players were no stranger to reds, although this wasn’t deserved anyway.
More waffle from Arteta to keep the fans off his back from asking questions on when he’s going to play, we are 15th in the league giving him a game over mustafi or holding cant be that difficult of a choice.
He said he looked good a month ago and still no game time, we need some transparency on this for a club always crying skint this doesn’t look good at all 30 million on a defender who doesn’t play.
and then david luiz, willian and xhaka plays. zzz
“we designed a pathway for him” – if the plan for saliba included not completing the loan paperwork on time, then our football executive are as cunning as a fox who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University
It would be a most depressing chapter if we waste this young defender. So much promise in a club that is crying out for a player of his type.
Let’s hope he can make it through all the horrendous personal struggles and get support from the fanbase.
Good luck William
It is a bizarre strategy. Pay big money for a player on a 5 year deal then loan him back for 2 years (which would have happened had we done the paperwork) then if he comes back and has a good season, he is then going into the last 2 years of his contract so we have all the usual agent bullshit to look forward to.
So many fans giving Arsenal grief for the saliba situation. the kid is 19 and has lost both his parents. can you imagine if he wasn’t a footballer? people quote mental health and suicide statistics all the time but never think of the real life applications. You think Mikel said to a 19 year old lad whos just lost his parents that he isnt good enough? or could it possibly be he said something more akin to ‘take 6 months off’? then the delayed start to the season may have given him time to feel ready to start playing again,… Read more »