Napoli Enquire About the Availability of Arsenal Centre-Back William Saliba

According to latest reports, Napoli are interested in signing highly-rated Arsenal defender William Saliba. Arsenal signed Saliba in July 2019 but has been loaned out three times, not having played a single game for the North London side since he joined three years ago. However, it is highly likely that it will change very soon.

The 21-year-old defender has shone on his recent loan spell with Marseille. After his strong season at the French club, the Gunners now plan to include him for the next season. He was one of the first names on the team sheet for Marseille. He also won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Season. Such an impressive season also got him a national team call-up and he has since played three matches for France.

Arsenal currently have Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes as their best options in the centre-back position. Although they do have Rob Holding too, there is no certainty over his future at the club. Moreover, having a solid centre-back on the bench will make things easier for manager Mikel Arteta. Bringing Saliba back and giving him more chances will also mean that Arsenal won’t have to sign a new player in that position.

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari (via Sport Bible), Napoli have enquired about the availability of William Saliba. The Azzurri plan on bringing some energy and youth to their defensive department and the French centre-back has been identified as a potential option.

Moreover, Brazilian defender Juan Jesus only has one more year left on his contract with the Italian club. Axel Tuanzebe spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at the Serie A club, but failed to impress and has returned to Manchester United. Therefore, Napoli want some defensive cover and William Saliba is an option for them.

#Napoli have made an enquiry for #Arsenal CB William #Saliba. #AFC https://t.co/2FkMCga3Dc

— Gianluigi Longari (@Glongari) June 6, 2022

Next season is going to be very crucial for Arsenal as they missed out on a Champions League spot by a very little margin. Moreover, the Gunners have many departing players and will need the right recruitment to achieve a top-4 finish and return to the Champions League. Lack of squad depth has caused them to miss out on the top-4 this season.

Why Arsenal May Not Allow William Saliba To Leave?

Most fans were not happy when Arsenal decided to loan out William Saliba for the third year running. However, his growth in France has helped the fans understand the club’s decision to do so. In addition, at just 21-years of age, he holds the record for the most number of passes in a season in the history of Ligue 1.

A few months ago, Mikel Arteta was also adamant about keeping Saliba for the future. This is what the Arsenal manager told RMC (via Football London),

“William Saliba has to come back. He has the experience to be competitive with us. We sent him to Marseille for his growth”.

“William wanted to be regular starter as you know but now we want him back at Arsenal”.

The 21-year-old French defender shares the same beliefs as the Gunners manager. He remains determined to make his first competitive appearance for Arsenal after three years. Saliba expressed his willingness to stay at the Emirates Stadium in an interview with French outlet Telefoot (via Sport Bible):

“I belong to Arsenal, I still have two years left. I will be back with Arsenal… I have played zero matches and I still want to show them that I can play for these fans and this great club.”

Napoli will have to make an offer that neither Arsenal nor William Saliba can deny. Only such an offer will compel the North London side to seriously consider a transfer. The Frenchman is one of the best defensive prospects in European football right now. The Gunners will be considering themselves to be very fortunate to have signed such a strong player at such a young age.

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