William Saliba has signed a new five year contract to commit his future to Arsenal but even he admits he didn’t know if he’d make it at the club after spells out on loan
William Saliba immediately set his sights on silverware after committing the next five years of his career to Arsenal. But there was once a time where the classy French defender wasn’t sure he would make it with the Gunners at all after enduring a three year wait to make his competitive debut.
Saliba, 24, joined Arsenal back in 2019 from Saint-Etienne before being immediately loaned back to the Ligue 1 outfit. His development would continue in France rather than north London as spells at Nice and Marseille followed before he was finally given the chance to stake a claim for a first-team berth at the start of the 2022-23 campaign by Mikel Arteta.
The imperious France international has never looked back, striking up a formidable partnership with Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. But even he concedes there were times he wondered if it would ever happen for him at Arsenal after signing a new contract until 2030.
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“Yeah, of course,” the defender admitted on Wednesday when he was asked if there were ever any doubts he would make it at The Emirates. “When I arrived in 2020 and I didn’t play for six months then got sent out on loan, of course I had some doubts. I thought maybe I would never play for this club but I told myself that I could not leave this club without playing.
“I didn’t give up. I went out on loan, I played some games, I came back here and I started playing in almost every game. I’m proud of myself for not ever giving up.”
Saliba has become one of the most important figures in an Arsenal team that has come agonisingly close to ending the club’s 20-plus year wait for the Premier League title in each of the last three seasons. Fittingly given his own comments, Arteta commended Saliba for the patience and perseverance he showed to make it at Arsenal.
“To get where you want, there is not a single pathway,” the Spaniard added in a press conference ahead of Arsena’s meeting with Olympiacos in the Champions League.
“Within this path, there was loans. There was various reasons within these loans and there was a big injury as well that kept him out for a long period of time.
“There is a lot that has happened and a lot that William had to get through to get to the point where he is today and that is the beauty of it. Sometimes thing don’t start the way you expect it but sometimes it is the best thing that can happen to you to get where you want to get.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
