Ornstein on what Arsenal could do with William Saliba for this season
Reputable journalist David Ornstein has shed some light on the sort of plans the Gunners may have for William Saliba this season with the centre-back’s loan spell in France yet to be terminated.
Under the management of Unai Emery, the Gunners decided to secure the signing of William Saliba last summer.
Even though the Arsenal squad has been short of quality defenders, Saliba was not included in the first team straight away as he was sent back out on loan to Saint-Etienne to gain more experience.
The 18-year-old has struggled to stay fit this season, and after recently recovery from an injury, he is back under the maintenance of his parent club for the time being.
With Saliba ocassionaly training or receiving treatment from Arsenal this campaign, some may wonder what the club intends on doing with him for the remainder of the season.
David Ornstein has revealed that the Gunners could choose to keep the defender in London for the rest of the season to keep an eye on his fitness.
According to the journalist though, it is unlikely that Saliba will be fully recalled from his loan at Saint-Etienne.
“Some have suggested to me that Arsenal would like to keep him at the club for the remainder of the season,” he said on the The Ornstein and Chapman Podcast
“So that he’s ready to go for the new campaign in perfect shape.
“Any hope of Arsenal getting him available to play this season is, we think, unlikely. They would have to probably strike a deal to actually effectively sign him and break the one-year loan.”