Mikel Arteta and Edu proven right on key William Saliba decision as Arsenal star signs new deal
Arsenal have made strives over the past year to ensure their young core of talented players are there for the foreseeable future. By signing up Gabriel Magalhaes, Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson to new contracts, the squad are in a position to kick on and impress.
That core of players for the future took another boost this summer as William Saliba signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until at least 2027. The Frenchman impressed in his debut Premier League season, stepping into the back line alongside Gabriel to add composure on and off the ball.
Comparisons to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk came flying in, all while the side made their push for an unlikely Premier League title. It came as little coincidence that once he picked up a back injury against Sporting CP in the Europa League, the points dropped off and the goals conceded increased.
It wasn't to be for the Gunners as their wait for a league title went on, but with it came a new belief that the side are back and competing where they want to be with a squad that are far from their prime. The impact of Saliba is a testament to the plan put into place by Mikel Arteta and Edu to help his progress.
Several loans and a spell in the academy side weren't met kindly by the defender who told Pro Direct Soccer France in May last year: «I didn’t play, I played with the under-23s. I still went to the Premier League and it’s an experience that taught me a lot, and I came out of it bigger and much stronger.
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: Deal confirmed, Mbappe talks, Rice, Timber medical, Saliba contract
»It was shocking at first [being dropped into the academy]. You say to yourself, ‘a £30million transfer all that, people were waiting
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