Arsenal: William Saliba leaves biggest problem unsolved

The ‘poison pill’ of loaning William back to St. Etienne makes sense. In spite of that, William Saliba’s transfer leaves Arsenal’s biggest problem unsolved.

Finally, Arsenal fans get some good news in the transfer market. William Saliba looks like an absolute beast of a young center-back. Make no mistake, Arsenal have pulled off a major transfer coup and the club had to do this deal right now.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Big Season Review

By this time next summer Saliba’s transfer value will have spiraled completely out of their reach. Plus, knowing he chose Arsenal over Tottenham makes this deal even sweeter. However, all that being said, the ‘poison pill’ of loaning Saliba back to St. Etienne, while making sense for both player and club, leaves the biggest problem unsolved.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Yes, it’s true a teenaged Raphael Varane stepped into Real Madrid without a hitch. So, if he was basically the same age then as Saliba is now, what’s the difference? Quite simply, Varane stepped into a backline full of world-class professionals like Sergio Ramos and Marcelo. All he had to do was learn on the job, knowing full well most of his mistakes would be covered up by those around him.

Matthijs de Ligt, also still a teenager, has a similar situation at Juventus, where Leonardo Bonucci will be happy to bring him along and the club faces no real competition for the Scudetto. In other words, neither Varane nor de Ligt were expected to lead as young players for their new clubs as teenagers.

That wouldn’t be the case for Saliba at Arsenal. From day one, he would be burdened by the expectation of being the savior of a moribund defense. That’s simply not fair to him. Complicating matters further, the current Arsenal locker room offers precious few examples of elite-level center-back play for Saliba to pattern his game after.

Saliba, by contrast, would more likely be tasked with covering up other people’s mistakes. Every day, academy-level players the world over handle the kind of simple balls over the top that consistently un-glue Saliba’s future teammates at Arsenal.

Saliba is probably the best center-half on the Arsenal wage books. And that’s exactly the problem. There is no Sol Campbell or Tony Adams to show the 18-year-old the way. Sadly, there are only veterans who have already shown themselves to be more error-prone than Saliba might be. Laurent Koscielny? That ship has obviously sailed. Sokratis is tough as nails but his untimely displays of hot-headed behavior and penchant for rash tackles are not a good example either. And it goes without saying that Shkodran Mustafi is not the guy you want walking your prize defensive recruit through his paces. The 50-plus goals they shipped last year is proof of that.

So the question remains, if Saliba doesn’t solve Arsenal’s problem at center-half next year, who does? Throughout the pre-season, the defense has shown itself to be as easily opened up as it ever was. In recent weeks, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Walter Kanneman of Gremio and Olympiakos’ Pape Cisse. It’s difficult to imagine either of them being more error-prone and ineffective than Mustafi. Meanwhile, Djene Dakonam is not only in the prime of his career; he just anchored the defense for an incredibly stingy Getafe side that qualified for this year’s Champions League. He’d cost a few million more quid than Kieran Tierney. Djene is not only strong; he’s quick enough to fill in at right-back or in the midfield. He sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

Whoever it is, if Unai Emery and Edu’s remaining transfer plans don’t include an upgrade at center-half who can play on day one, the Gunners will likely ship another 50 goals and miss out on the Champions League again.