William Saliba to get Arsenal chance following Gabriel call-up

William Saliba Will Get His Chance to Impress Arteta at Arsenal

Having started in the heart of a back three for Nice following his loan move in January, the arrival of Jean-Clair Tobido in February first prompted Adrian Ursea to switch to a back four.

Saliba’s command and comfort on that side saw Todibo move to right centre-back and arguably his best form to date has all been on that side. Comfortable carrying the ball out with either foot, there is certain scope for Saliba to play on the side he is, quite possibly, most comfortable with.

Mari brings the obvious left-footed balance but given this is pre-season, there will be chances for the £27m to give the boss something to ponder over on either side.

Currently penciled in for four pre-season fixtures starting against Hibernian on July 13th and finishing with a July 28th clash in Florida, if Saliba impresses during that stint there is a very real chance he could be given a place in the side when the Gunners travel to Brentford on the opening day. It all hinges on how he does in the weeks building up.

The issue of how much trust Arteta will place in an untested young central defender still exists, however.

It’s not that he’s unwilling to place his faith in youth – the youngsters did carry the team after all – but at a crucial position such as centre-back, seeing the need to spend heavily on a more Premier League proven player like White offers a glimpse into his thoughts.

Pre-season is always an interesting period of the year and with vast changes taking place across the squad and Gabriel’s absence, the opportunity will be there for Saliba to prove Arteta he’s more trustworthy than the Spaniard believes.