One To Watch
Made in Ligue 1: William Saliba Profile
Saliba joined Saint-Étienne’s youth academy in 2016 and made his professional debut in 2018. He moved to Arsenal in 2019, but his journey in France’s top flight wasn’t over just yet.
After the Gunners paid a significant fee for Saliba, he expected to play a key role, despite his young age. However, the reality was different, as the defender admitted to L’Equipe in 2024 that his move to Arsenal served as a reality check.
“I started young at Saint-Étienne. People believed in me. When things are going badly, you have a tendency to let your head drop. When Arsenal buy you for €30m and you play with the U23s, naturally, that gives you a bit of a smack.”
Saliba returned to Ligue 1 McDonald’s on loan stints with OGC Nice, for whom he made 22 appearances. After his stint with Le Gym ended, the 24-year-old went on another loan spell, this time with Olympique de Marseille.
During his two years at Marseille, Saliba made 52 appearances across all competitions. His standout moment came in 2022 when he helped the club reach the semifinals of the UEFA Europa Conference League, though they were eliminated by Feyenoord.
While he didn’t win a trophy with Marseille, the Frenchman told L’Equipe that his time at OM played a key role in shaping his career, helping him earn a spot in the France team and secure a place in Arsenal’s starting XI.
“The year at Olympique de Marseille was a big turning point in my career […] I was good right from the opening matches. I liked the club and I think we could have won the title that year. I had a great connection with the fans. Thanks to this season, I came back to Arsenal stronger.”
Arsenal will be looking to reach the Champions League final and win their first-ever trophy in the competition, but to do so, they'll need Saliba to play a major role.
Following the season-ending injury to Gabriel Magalhães, the former ASSE standout is being leaned on more to be the rock on defense; it will be interesting to see if Saliba can help contain PSG's attack over 180 minutes.
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