Arsenal could be set to navigate an unexpected flat tire in their squad building plans this summer after French international starlet William Saliba issued an untimely transfer ultimatum to the north London club and boss Mikel Arteta.
Saliba, now 21, has shone during his time away from Arsenal during a trio of loan stints at AS Saint-Étienne, OGC Nice, and most notably last season under Jorge Sampaoli at Olympique de Marseille where he helped guide the club to a runner-up finish in Ligue 1.
But according to reports in The Independent cited by Football365, Saliba could still be looking toward the exit aisle at the Emirates despite being in the first-team squad and being pegged as an integral long-term puzzle piece under Arteta.
William Saliba ‘wants to exit’ Arsenal permanently this summer unless he is ‘guaranteed a starting place’.
Atletico Madrid & Marseille are interested in him.
Report via @Independent, full details below for @F365… #AFC
— Lewis Oldham (@LewisOldham99) July 15, 2022
The report states that Saliba will be prepared to ask for a permanent move away from Arsenal before the window slams shut this summer if he is not guaranteed to be viewed as a first-choice option in the heart of the Gunners’ backline.
This ultimatum is said to come off the back of Saliba being promised a place in the French squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter but said place is contingent on him continuing to receive regular minutes at club level after he was one of the standout performers for OM last season, along with fellow former Arsenal youngster Mattéo Guendouzi.
Should Saliba not have his needs met at Arsenal, both OM as well as La Liga giants Atlético Madrid are said to be keen on making a permanent move for the Bondy-native.
MARSEILLE, FRANCE – APRIL 10: William Saliba of Marseille during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Montpellier HSC (MHSC) at Stade Velodrome on April 10, 2022 in Marseille, France. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
Though many Arsenal fans are eager to see Saliba finally get his chance in north London, the Gunners have continuously been linked with interest in center-backs this summer, which, though purely speculatory, could suggest that the current issue with Saliba was previously known to Arteta as well as technical director Edu Gaspar.
Arsenal was previously in a transfer tussle over AFC Ajax center-back Lisandro Martínez before Manchester United steamed ahead and looks set to reunite the Argentine with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
But links to interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Burkinabé star Edmond Tapsoba have also surfaced in the wake of the club’s failure to secure a deal for Martínez, which could lend further weight to the notion that Saliba could well look to build a career away from Arsenal after all.
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