William Saliba rejected Arsenal push for Newcastle or Palace loan
Arsenal defender William Saliba has revealed he rejected the club’s attempts to send him on loan to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace before his breakthrough season.
The French international was initially frozen out of the first-team picture after Mikel Arteta took charge at Emirates Stadium.
Having been signed by former manager Unai Emery, the young centre-back found himself sidelined and was instructed to find a temporary move away from north London.
Refusing a Premier League switch
Following a productive spell in his homeland with Nice, the defender was told not to report for pre-season training ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
Arsenal management preferred that their promising prospect gain valuable Premier League experience with a domestic rival.
However, the player was adamant that a return to France was the best option for his ongoing development.
“Arsenal wanted me to go to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace, but I didn’t want to do that.”
William Saliba speaking to L’Equipe
The Marseille turning point
Instead of remaining in England, the highly-rated stopper faced a difficult choice between Lille and Marseille.
Despite some initial reluctance regarding the intense atmosphere at Stade Velodrome, he chose the latter after being convinced by then-manager Jorge Sampaoli.
“Jorge Sampaoli really wanted me. I went to Marseille and things moved so quickly.”
That decision proved transformative, as the imposing defender played almost every match and earned his first senior cap for the France national team by March of that year.
Establishing Emirates dominance
Upon returning from his successful stint in Ligue 1, the centre-half was immediately integrated into Arteta’s starting line-up.
He has since developed into one of Europe’s premier defenders, forming an imperious partnership with Brazilian team-mate Gabriel.
Together, the pair have provided the defensive foundation for Arsenal’s consecutive Premier League title challenges over the past two seasons.
