Arsenal could earn profit on William Saliba transfer despite ace not playing a single game

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Arsenal could make a profit on William Saliba this summer without the defender having played a single match for the club. The 21-year-old is now a senior France international and could attract plenty of interest, with just over two years remaining on his deal at the Emirates.

Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019 for a fee of £27million. The Frenchman signed a five-year contract before moving back to the Ligue 1 club on a season-long loan.

Arsenal then sacked head coach Unai Emery and replaced him with Mikel Arteta during that campaign. Arteta deemed Saliba not ready for first-team involvement upon his return, not picking him in a match-day squad for the first half of the 2020/21 season.

He then had a loan spell at Nice before joining Marseille last summer, with Arteta again wanting him to gain further experience. But as time goes by, it appears increasingly more likely that Saliba will never make his Gunners debut.

It was reported in February by Calcio Mercato that the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan are interested in Saliba. That was over a month before he had made his debut for France.

Now L’Equipe, via Get French Football News, claim Atletico Madrid are among several top clubs keen on the centre-back. A bidding war for Saliba will only drive up his price.

Arsenal boss Arteta has often stated his desire to bring Saliba back to the club in the summer. The Spaniard said in March: “He’s our player and we are really happy with the decision that we made because the exposure, minutes, responsibility and growth at his age is something we could not guarantee him this season.

“It makes a lot of sense what is happening with him and we are glad to see him the way he is improving.” However, Saliba has failed to hide his view that staying longer at Marseille is not out of the question.

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He recently told Le Parisien: “There is always a chance [that I will stay with Marseille]. I do not hide that I am very happy in Marseille.

“I have developed, I have passed a milestone. If I make it into France’s squad it’s thanks to Marseille, because there is a lot of visibility.”

Arteta will need to strengthen his squad once more this summer. Failing to qualify for the Champions League would again restrict his summer budget.

But in Saliba, Arsenal have a player who could attract a higher fee than he was bought for without ever stepping on the Emirates turf. If Arteta does not see him as part of his plans, that would be good business by the Gunners.

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