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‘A little slap’: Saliba shares what he realised when Arteta refused to play him at Arsenal
Arsenal defender William Saliba has opened up on his difficult time at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta.
The young Frenchman joined Arsenal as a teenager in 2019 but he’s still yet to play a game for them. Every fan wanted to see Saliba in the red and white shirt, but Arteta was adamant that he wasn’t ready for the Premier League.
Saliba was shipped out on loan to Nice at the start of this year before Marseille snapped him up for a season-long spell away from the Emirates last summer. Arsenal fans are still furious with Arteta’s treatment of the youngster, but he claims he has learnt a lot during this difficult period.
Here’s what the Arsenal youngster said while speaking on the this week…
Saliba: Not playing for six months at Arsenal served as a mental lesson
The Arsenal man, who is currently on loan at Marseille, said, as translated by : “Of course there are times when it’s hard.
“You don’t even play a game for six months (at Arsenal in the first half of last season). You tell yourself that football is a difficult sport.
“We must not let go, (we must) fight! It should not be taken negatively, it must serve as a mental lesson to go further. It puts a little slap to remind you that you are a nobody.
“I feed on it. I know what it’s like not to play for six months.”
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Saliba would’ve been really frustrated with the way Arteta treated him. The young Frenchman wasn’t given a single opportunity to prove himself, which is a shame as he’s widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his age.
However, Arteta believed that Saliba needed more games under his belt before he would be ready for the Premier League. The Arsenal boss may just be right about that, but Gunners fans will still argue that the youngster deserved at least a chance to show what he’s got.
The experience will definitely benefit Saliba in the long run. He has learnt a lot about top-level football over the last 18 months and if he can build on that, he will end up being a fine defender for club and country.
It will be interesting to see if Arteta will give Saliba a few opportunities when he’s back from his loan spell next term.
