Former France winger Ludovic Giuly has suggested that William Saliba may need to leave Arsenal if he wants to be the best centre-back in the world.
Saliba has performed admirably for Arsenal since making his Premier League debut in August 2022.
He was loaned out three times after costing the Londoners £27 million in the summer of 2019, and made his long-awaited debut in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on the first day of 2022/23.
The Frenchman was a key figure in Arsenal’s improbable title challenge, but his team ultimately fell short after he sustained a season-ending injury in March.
Saliba has been outstanding this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side become the Premier League’s finest defensive team.
The 23-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Emirates last July, despite worries about his long-term prospects. Transfermarkt has priced him at €80 million.
Arsenal will undoubtedly be opposed to the sale of Saliba, but former AS Monaco and Barcelona winger Giuly has suggested that a transfer abroad could enhance the player’s career.
When asked if Saliba has the potential to become one of the top central defenders in the world, Giuly told wettbasis.com: “William is already on the right track. He spent his first year at Arsenal on and off the substitutes’ bench, but he has improved dramatically over the last 18 months.
“He is playing wonderfully in the Premier League and is now maximising his potential.
“Whether he will become the world’s top centre defender is always impossible to predict. Many factors come into play, including fitness, whether he can match the high expectations in the long run, if he makes the greatest professional decisions, and whether he stays at Arsenal or dares to change clubs.”
When it came to young French players, Giuly was asked about Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.
The 47-year-old believes Konate can reach his full potential if he overcomes his injury concerns.
“The big problem with him is that he’s often injured,” he remarked. “But he’s athletic and physically robust, I rarely see him lose a duel.”If his body abandons him in the next months, he will go his own path and undoubtedly achieve the huge expectations that have been put in him.”
