Arteta explains why Saliba had to wait for his chance at Arsenal.

Over the past few months, Arsenal has been enjoying a string of successes under the leadership of manager Mikel Arteta, and one player who has played an integral role in this success is William Saliba. However, Arteta has now revealed the true reason behind Saliba's two loan spells and delayed opportunity to impress with the first team.

Saliba, a talented young player from France, joined Arsenal in 2019 before Arteta took over as manager. The transfer was worth a whopping £27 million, but it was agreed that Saliba would return to his former club, Saint Etienne, on a season-long loan. When he finally returned to Arsenal the following summer, he was quickly sidelined by Arteta and then sent on loan to Nice for six months. And just when it seemed like his reputation was soaring, Saliba was again sent on loan, this time to Marseille for the entire 2021/22 season. However, after an impressive campaign and winning the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, Saliba was finally deemed ready to shine in the Premier League.

Saliba's journey hasn't been an easy one, but he has proved his worth since making his competitive first team debut against Crystal Palace almost two years ago. He is now considered to be one of the best defensive talents in the world. When asked about Saliba's loan spells, Arteta explained that he always believed in Saliba's abilities, but the atmosphere at Arsenal during his early days was not conducive for his development. Arteta has since worked hard to transform the culture of the club and felt that it was finally the right time to bring Saliba back.

In an interview with France Football, Arteta said, "When Saliba arrived at the club after his first loan, we wanted to assess him. We came to two conclusions – firstly, he was not ready to play in the Premier League in the role we had envisioned for him, and secondly, the environment was not suitable for his development and reaching his full potential." Arteta also revealed that he was confident that Saliba would eventually play for Arsenal, but not at that particular moment in time.

After his impressive loan spells, Saliba returned to Arsenal and proved his worth in just one or two training sessions. Arteta knew that Saliba was now ready to take on the Premier League. "His progression and consistency have been incredible, and we are delighted to have him with us," Arteta added.

Despite facing some challenges along the way, Saliba has proven himself to be a valuable asset for Arsenal. And as for Arteta, he has successfully transformed the club into a more positive and supportive environment, where players like Saliba can thrive and reach their full potential.

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