William Saliba demonstrates key Mikel Arteta trait amid hope for Arsenal future

Mikel Arteta reviews Arsenal's performance against Watford

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William Saliba has demonstrated a key trait that Mikel Arteta demands from his players as hope grows that he has a long-term future at Arsenal. Saliba was bought by Arteta’s predecessor Unai Emery, though is still yet to make his debut for the Gunners three years later.

Instead, he has been sent out on a series of loan deals, spending the current season at Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Up to now, he had starred under Jorge Sampaoli, becoming a key member of their defensive backline.

His performances have been so impressive that Marseille have been openly stating their desire to keep him permanently.

But Marseille are set to be disappointed in those hopes, with Arteta having been left pleased by Saliba’s campaign.

There remain questions over Gabriel’s place in the Gunners line-up, with Saliba set to be given a chance to earn a spot in Arteta’s team.

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If he is to do so, the Frenchman will need to convince the Arsenal boss that he can fit into the standards demanded of Gunners players.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the latest example of a player who has fallen short of those expectations.

But it appears that Saliba will not go the same way as the striker, if his comments about his recent performances are anything to go by.

The 20-year-old has admitted that he needs to improve after a spell in which Marseille have won just two of their last six Ligue 1 games.

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“Since February, I’ve been very average. There’s no need to hide,” Saliba said.

“I know that I need to work, I’m a young player, but it’s no excuse. I’m going to give everything to get back to my good level.

“We’ve had a difficult month of February. We’ve started March badly, but we’ll soon find the taste of victory again and especially the good style of play we had at the start of the season.”

Saliba’s admittance that his performances have not been good enough will actually please Arteta, given his demand for players to be honest and to front-up.

That sort of attitude will go a long way to getting himself in Arteta’s good books ahead of his return to the Emirates.

And it can be little surprise then that the Arsenal boss has made it clear that he views Saliba as a key player for the future.

“He’s a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well. And giving him three or four games is not enough,” he said last week.

“He’s very happy to go there now. Hopefully, he can enjoy his football and be ready for us for next season.”

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