Arsenal have earmarked contract negotiations with William Saliba as being of “critical importance” for next summer, according to The Athletic.
The Frenchman is currently on loan at Marseille and, while the Ligue One side would like to keep the defender, they don’t have an option to buy, and the Gunners are keen to keep hold of him:
Arteta’s ‘rowing boat’, pre-season chats with Auba, behind-closed-doors friendly, NLD team-talk, atypical set-pieces, training ground visits from Invincibles, & a squad night out.
How Arsenal steadied the ship.
w/ @David_Ornstein for @TheAthleticUK #AFChttps://t.co/TqnyATNywS
— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) November 17, 2021
Saliba will have two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates when he returns to England in July and to preserve his value, it seems an extension will be proposed.
Whether the 20-year-old will accept the offer, though, is another matter entirely. He has yet to make his competitive debut for Arsenal and he has spent the majority of his time at the London club away on loan spells in France.
The impressive form Saliba has shown for Marseille, however, may convince Arteta that he deserves to be given a chance, and if the Spaniard can persuade the player that he is a key part of his first-team plans going forward, it may lead to him signing a new deal.
