William Saliba ‘is open to QUITTING Arsenal and making his Marseille loan permanent’ this summer… but the centre back’s decision ‘depends on the French side qualifying for next season’s Champions League’
- Marseille are pushing to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League
- Reports in France say that is the key to convincing William Saliba to stick around
- Saliba, 20, is on loan from Arsenal but he is thriving right now for Marseille
- The French side are also battling against a transfer ban, which they appealed
Arsenal defender William Saliba is reportedly ‘open’ to making his loan at Marseille permanent on one condition – they qualify for the Champions League.
Saliba, who joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne back in 2019, has been a standout performer for Marseille this season, notching a 14th clean sheet at the weekend.
The £27million centre back has yet to make a competitive first team appearance for Arsenal and La Provence has now reported that Saliba is considering the idea of staying with Marseille should they secure a Champions League spot for 2022-23.
William Saliba is reportedly considering making his loan with Marseille a permanent switch
He joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 for £27million but hasn’t featured
The top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League, with the top two in the division going directly to the group stages.
Marseille currently sit third and are on course, two points behind Nice, who are second, and 13 points adrift of runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Saliba, 20, immediately returned on loan to Saint-Etienne in 2019-20 before another spell out on loan at Nice.
He joined Marseille last summer on a loan deal and he has stood out at the back for Sampaoli’s side.
Saliba (right) is viewed as one of the best defensive prospects in France as he plays regularly
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has not ruled out a key role in the future at the club for Saliba
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has previously stressed that Saliba is in Arsenal’s long-term plans, despite the fact they spent a combined £70m on Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Arteta said back in September: ‘He will come back for pre-season and he will be with us. Hopefully he will come back after playing a number of games and his performance raising and his development progressing in the right way. That’s why we made that decision.
‘I know that sometimes it’s difficult to explain or understand after the money that the club has spent trying to bring him in, to send him on loan.’
Saliba’s only Arsenal experience to date has been limited to playing in the Papa John’s EFL trophy with Arsenal’s U21 side.
He also appeared in a pre-season friendly against MK Dons.
Saliba has yet to make a competitive first team appearance, limited to their U21 side to date
What works against Marseille, should they look to turn his loan into a permanent, is that they are currently embroiled in a battle with FIFA over a transfer ban, which they they have appealed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The ban was delivered due to Marseille’s involvement in a long-running transfer dispute over Pape Gueye with Watford.
The Senegal international had signed a pre-contract agreement but later backed out on that and signed a four-year deal with Marseille, a decision which the English side took to appeal.
Marseille are now fighting the judgement and that is of paramount importance if they plan on keeping hold of Saliba beyond June.
