Significant update emerges on William Saliba at Arsenal amid Norwich and Brentford interest

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that defender William Saliba is in discussions to leave the Emirates on loan in January.

Saliba made the switch to the Premier League in the summer of 2019 from St Etienne, but returned to the French outfit on loan for the whole of last season to continue his development.

However, having returned to Arsenal over the summer, the 19-year-old hasn’t yet made a first-team appearance for Arteta’s men – with his only two outings coming in the EFL Trophy.

Saliba wasn’t named in Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad, meaning he can’t feature until January at the earliest, and was left out of the squad that lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Both Norwich and Brentford have been linked with Saliba in recent months, and the Arsenal boss told Football.London after their defeat to City that a loan exit for the centre-back is likely, although the report believes that France is his favourable destination.

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“We made that decision with him and we’ll see what we’re going to do in January. We are talking about it [loan move] yes,” said the Arsenal boss.

The Verdict

It isn’t clear whether Saliba could remain in England and sign for a Championship club, but this update offers hope for the likes of both Brentford and Norwich.

Saliba is clearly in desperate need of first-team experience, and if he has any serious ambitions of making the grade at Arsenal, then staying in England would benefit the teenager far greater than moving back to St Etienne.