‘Really good’ William Saliba part of Mikel Arteta’s plans this season

Mikel Arteta has revealed his plans for William Saliba this season after the 21-year-old impressed against Everton in the Gunners’ first game of their US tour.

The return of William Saliba was a sight for sore eyes, and personally speaking, this was something that I was itching to see. Having spent the last three seasons on loan at various French clubs, Saliba was named to start alongside Gabriel against Everton by Mikel Arteta.

The 21-year-old put forth a composed 70-odd minute performance as he barely got out of second gear. His progressive passing kept his side moving forward, and his pace allowed him to cut off any long balls that the Everton midfield was trying to play in behind.

He was caught ball-watching early in the first half and was bailed out by Cedric, who covered perfectly, but aside from that, it was an assured performance and one that will no doubt make every Arsenal fan excited to see him in Premier League action.

With Ben White reportedly nursing an injury, expect Saliba to feature again against Orlando City in the Gunners’ next pre-season hitout.

The 21-year-old’s performance caught the eye of the Arsenal boss, who had nothing but positive things to say about the defender.

Arteta spoke with football.london and was asked about Saliba’s performance:

"“Really good,” Arteta said.“I think he played a really good game, he looked really composed. Straight away from day one he looks really focused. He has evolved the way we wanted, and I think he had a really good performance.”"

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It was certainly a pleasing performance for the Frenchman as we all got to finally see him in an Arsenal shirt, three years after joining the club.

At one stage, there was a real thought that Saliba could be moved on and that would have sent shudders down the spine of every Arsenal fan. Such is the 21-year-old’s talent, it would have been a huge mistake.

Arteta, though, has stated that Saliba is fully in his plans for this upcoming season.

"“William is in my plans and we are all excited to watch him,” Arteta said via TalkSport prior to the club’s game against Everton.“He’s a proper talent who showed what he can do at Marseille.“The way our relationship started was not a typical thing to do but the plan was always to buy him and send him on loan. We have been trying to prepare him in the best possible way for what he faces in the Premier League.“We cannot guarantee first-team football to anyone. But I guarantee players who take us to the next level are going to play a lot of minutes. He’s improved in so many areas. All the time he has been abroad has built confidence in him.”"

At the time of writing, Benjamin White and Gabriel are Arteta’s first-choice pairing in the heart of the defence, but Saliba will be pushing the door down if he continues to put performances in like he did against Everton.

With the Gunners now in the Europa League, there will be game time for the Frenchman to showcase his skills, and hearing Arteta say he plans to use Saliba this upcoming season will no doubt be music to the ears of Arsenal fans everywhere.