'He's the boss defensively' - Why Arsenal's William Saliba is the 'future of France' after first Les Bleus call-up
Updated 21/03/2022 at 16:07 GMT
"He just needs to grow as a player, and to gain more experience to cut out the little mistakes he makes sometimes. But he has everything to be a top, top player." Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is currently on loan at Marseille and has impressed at the Stade Velodrome so far. Cyril Morin explains exactly how Saliba has caught the eye of Didier Deschamps to earn a France call-up.
Inside Europe - Saliba
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal defender William Saliba has received his first call-up for France despite having never pulled on a shirt for the Gunners in a competitive match.
Signed by the north London club from Saint-Etienne in 2019, Saliba’s time at the club has seen him sent on a series of loans, with the centre-back currently playing for Ligue 1 side Marseille.
While his future at the Emirates still remains unclear, the 20-year-old has obviously impressed enough back in his homeland to earn himself a call-up for the reigning world champions’ upcoming friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa.
Eurosport France’s Cyril Morin explains exactly how Saliba has caught the eye of France head coach Didier Deschamps and what the future holds for the highly rated and increasingly improving youngster.
Was his selection expected?
Maybe not the timing but he was one the names that has been often quoted for selection in recent months.
He seemed very close at the end of 2021 after his fantastic start to the season but wasn’t selected. With Benjamin Pavard now absent because of Covid, Saliba was the main candidate because Deschamps wants to play 3-4-3 therefore needs defenders with good appreciation of the game and good skills on the ball.
What kind of season has he had with Marseille so far?
Terrific between August and November but had a bad time when OM dipped in form.
He had several mistakes that mar his season but he’s still performing well, such as against Nice in the last game.
He’s one of the best defenders in Ligue 1 this season, no doubt about it. Many remember the image of his fantastic tackle against Kylian Mbappe in the 0-0 draw with PSG earlier in the campaign.
What are the main strengths in his game?
A bit of everything to be honest. He’s so strong, very good at reading the game and so very intelligent tactically. He's very good at duels where he has a high percentage of winning them, very interesting with the ball when he has to launch plays, and very strong with his head. He is also a leader mentally - he’s the boss defensively.
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Kylian Mbappe of PSG is tackled by William Saliba of Marseille during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Marseille and Paris Saint Germain at Orange Velodrome on October 24, 2021 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Lionel Hahn/Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
How will he fit in alongside the current backline?
He has the right profile for the new defence envisioned by Deschamps. For the moment, it looks like the starting defenders are Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Lucas Hernandez.
Saliba plays at the same position as Kounde but Pavard is the main man who Deschamps considers the Kounde back-up in this team, so Saliba is still very unsure to have his ticket for World Cup.
Does he have the potential to make the position his own long-term?
Yes, no doubt about that. He is the future of France in this position. He just needs to grow as a player, and to gain more experience to cut out the little mistakes he makes sometimes. But he has everything to be a TOP, TOP player.
Is there any indication what his future holds at club level? Will he stick with Arsenal?
Nothing new as we don’t really know what plans Arsenal has for him. He was loaned without an option to buy - OM would be interested in keeping him but not sure they would be able to pay him.
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