Arsenal defender William Saliba joins Ligue 1 side Marseille on loan

Arsenal defender William Saliba joins Ligue 1 side Marseille on loan

Arsenal defender William Saliba

Defender William Saliba has joined Ligue 1 outfit Olympique de Marseille from Arsenal on a season-long loan deal ahead of the upcoming season.

Willaim Saliba played 16 matches for Saint-Étienne between 2018/19 before joining English Premier League side Arsenal. The 20-year-old defender hasn’t made a single appearance for the Gunners to date.

However, he joined Saint-Étienne and OGC Nice on loan, where he played 12 & 20 matches, respectively. The young defender also found the net once last season during his stint with French club OGC Nice.

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His only goal of the season came against Olympique Lyon in the final league stage fixture. The scores were level, with both sides finding the net twice each until the 50th minute. Willaim Saliba scored a goal at the 57th minute to give his side a 3-2 lead in the game. The score at the final whistle read OGC Nice defeat Olympique Lyon 3-2 in the Ligue 1 encounter.

William Saliba

Technical director Edu said: “Together with William, we have decided it will be good for his continued development to spend another season on loan. William joined us as an 18-year-old, and he is still only 20, so he is still developing all the time. 

“William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be really beneficial for him at Marseille, a good club. To play another season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course be keeping in close contact with William during the season and wish him all the best in France with Marseille.”

Arsenal defender William Saliba

Arsenal to play EPL 2021/22 season opener

Arsenal will lock horns with newly promoted side Brentford in the first match of the English Premier League 2021/22. The match will be played on August 14 at the Brentford Community Stadium, Brentford. The Gunners will start this fixture as clear favourites.

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