5 Arsenal players with something to prove in pre-season

5. William Saliba

For the longest time, he seemed to be nothing more than a figment of our imagination. But after three years it looks like William Saliba will, at last, be integrated into the Arsenal squad.

To say that his time at Marseille last season was a success would be an extraordinary understatement, with the prodigious talent completing a gruelling 52 matches – 13 of which were European appearances – as well as claiming a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season and winning the league’s Young Player of the Year award.

As a result, Saliba has proved his point and pre-season will afford him the chance to finally demonstrate his incredible potential in Arsenal colours, with the only question now being where he ranks in the pecking order considering the strong partnership between White and Gabriel.

In the past, ‘Wilo’ has aired personal grievances about what he interpreted as a harsh and premature assessment of his readiness for the Premier League, and pre-season will give him a much-deserved platform to force his way into the first team.