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‘He’s got this calm strength’: Hugo Lloris blown away by Arsenal youngster who has never played under Arteta
Tottenham Hotspur and France captain Hugo Lloris has delivered his verdict on Arsenal defender William Saliba following his first-ever call-up to the national team.
The young Frenchman joined the Gunners back in 2019 but he’s yet to play a game for them. Mikel Arteta wasn’t convinced that he was ready for the Premier League and he was kept out of the side as a result.
Saliba was sent out on loan to Nice in the second half of last season and he joined Marseille at the start of this campaign. His performances have been really impressive and his France call-up is a deserved one, albeit it was because of an injury to Benjamin Pavard.
Lloris was quizzed about the Arsenal man yesterday and he seemed very impressed.
Hugo Lloris: What Arsenal defender William Saliba has done is impressive
The Tottenham skipper faced the media yesterday ahead of France’s games against the Ivory Coast and South Africa in the coming days.
Asked about Saliba, Lloris said, as per : “What he’s doing at a club like Marseille at 21 years of age, that’s impressive.
“He’s got this calm strength about him. We feel him ready and serene. He’s got the assets to go up another level in his career.
“If the chance presents itself, there’s nothing better for him to play his first game for France at the Vélodrome (Marseille’s home ground).”
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Saliba is a fantastic talent, everybody knows that. The 21-year-old is arguably the best defender in the world of his age and he’ll only get better in the coming years.
Arsenal have a decision to make with respect to Saliba. He’ll enter the final two years of his contract this summer and the fact that he’s yet to play a single competitive minute under Arteta is a big worry.
Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes have formed a tremendous partnership at the back for Arsenal and that pairing will not be broken. That leaves Saliba in a tricky situation, which could see him walk away.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out but if Saliba leaves Arsenal without playing a game for the club, questions will be asked of Arteta and Edu.
