Jorge Sampaoli confirms Marseille want to buy on-loan Arsenal star William Saliba

Olympique Marseille v Feyenoord - Conference League

William Saliba has had a successful season on loan at Marseille (Photo: Getty)

Olympique Marseille manager Jorge Sampaoli has confirmed that he would like to sign defender William Saliba from Arsenal permanently.

Saliba has had a successful season on loan at the French side, making 51 appearances at the time of writing and helping the club to second in Ligue 1 and the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

There has been much speculation surrounding the 21-year-old’s future and whether he will return to Arsenal or be moved on for good in the summer, but one thing is now clear: Marseille want him to stay.

‘I hope that there is a possibility for us to keep a player like him [Saliba], who knows the team,’ Sampaoli said as quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano, via Get French Football News.

‘I don’t know if it depends on OM, William or Arsenal. I don’t know the possibilities in this case.’

Mikel Arteta is yet to hand the defender his Arsenal debut (Photo: Getty)

Saliba was signed for the Gunners by Unai Emery in 2019 for £27million, before being immediately loaned back to Saint-Etienne and there was much hype and expectation that the Frenchman would form a part of Arsenal’s defence for years to come.

But upon returning the Emirates a year later, Emery was gone, and new boss Mikel Arteta was unconvinced by the youngster, leaving him out of the senior squad before loaning him to Nice and then Marseille.

Three years on from his initial signing, Saliba is yet to make his first-team debut, and with Arsenal now boosting impressive centre-back options in Gabriel Magalhaes, Benjamin White and Rob Holding, the Gunners may look to sell the defender while his stock is high.

More: Arsenal FC

Michael Owen makes Tottenham v Arsenal prediction ahead of crucial north London derby

Arsenal fall short of Man City asking price with opening bid for Gabriel Jesus

As for what the player wants, Saliba has previously said he is prepared to accept whatever decision his parent club makes.

‘My wish is to finish the season well, to leave on a good note in case I don’t come back,’ he said earlier in May.

‘It would be my pleasure to come back no matter what, it’s not as if I know I’m not going to come back, it’s Marseille, it’s my club.’

MORE : Tottenham vs Arsenal TV channel, live stream, team news, time, odds and head-to-head

MORE : Cesc Fabregas names the four Arsenal players he ‘really likes’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Source:: Metro

(Visited 4 times, 1 visits today)

USA News Posts - Related Posts:

‘Was he getting ripped in training?’ – Paul Merson doubts William Saliba’s long-term future at Arsenal William Saliba is due to return to Arsenal this summer (Picture: Getty)Paul Merson believes Arsenal will sell William Saliba this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta not convinced by the defender. In 2019, Saliba joined the Gunners from Saint-Etienne for £35 million but he has not featured in a competitive game for the north Londoners following multiple loan spells in France. This season, the Frenchman has been playing at Marseille and has been a mainstay in their defence making 50 appearances…
Tottenham vs Arsenal TV channel, live stream, team news, time, odds and head-to-head Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte meet in a huge clash on Thursday night (Picture: Getty Images)A monster of a north London derby comes around on Thursday night as Tottenham host Arsenal with the battle for the top four coming to a head. The Gunners are in a strong position in that fight, sitting fourth, one place and four points ahead of Spurs with three league games to play. Antonio Conte’s side need to win to keep the battle realistically alive…
Meet The Builder Of The World’s Greatest Restomod Land Rover Defenders Osprey Custom CarsIt’s fair to say that any man who appreciates automotive icons and classic style has, at one time or another, lusted after a classic Land Rover Defender. Not least because Land Rover stopped selling the iconic truck in the U.S. when production of the North America Spec (NAS) Defender abruptly ceased in 1997. Very few examples of that last USA-street-legal series of NAS Defenders were ever made—and it is in fact illegal here to own a Defender built…
Arsenal make first bid for Gabriel Jesus but fall short of Man City asking price Gabriel Jesus has emerged as Arsenal’s primary target in the transfer window (Picture: Getty)Arsenal have submitted an opening offer of €50million to sign Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus. With the futures of Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette yet to be resolved, Arsenal have identified the need to sign at least one striker this summer as a priority. Jesus has little over 12 months left on his remaining contract and, although he has played an increasingly prominent role in City’s challenge…
Wolves want £70m for Ruben Neves as midfielder targets Premier League stay Ruben Neves is a summer target for Arsenal and Manchester United (Picture: Getty)Wolves will demand £70 million for Ruben Neves this summer with the midfielder keen to stay in the Premier League following interest from Manchester United and Arsenal. Since being promoted with the club back in 2018, Neves, 25, has been a star in the Premier League and his absence has played a big part in Wolves’ loss of form in recent weeks. The Portuguese has been linked heavily…
‘It’s huge’ – Alan Smith says Arsenal must finish in the top-four to attract new signings Arsenal are aiming to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in six years (Picture: Getty)Alan Smith believes qualifying for the Champions League next season would be ‘huge’ for Arsenal’s summer transfer plans. After an impressive season, the Gunners currently sit fourth in the Premier League – four points above of Tottenham – and are looking to qualify for Europe’s top competition for the first time in six years. However, Mikel Arteta’s team face their north London rivals…
Pandemic pushes Oregon’s public defender system to the brink Oregon’s public defender system has shown cracks for years, but a post-pandemic glut of delayed cases has exposed shocking constitutional landmines impacting defendants and crime victims alike in a state with a national reputation for progressive social justice. An acute shortage of public defenders means that at any given time at least several hundred low-income criminal defendants don't have legal representation, sometimes in serious felony cases that could put them away for years. Judges have dismissed nearly four dozen cases…
Pandemic pushes Oregon’s public defender system to the brink Oregon’s public defender system has shown cracks for years, but a post-pandemic glut of delayed cases has exposed shocking constitutional landmines impacting defendants and crime victims alike in a state with a national reputation for progressive social justice. An acute shortage of public defenders means that at any given time at least several hundred low-income criminal defendants don't have legal representation, sometimes in serious felony cases that could put them away for years. Judges have dismissed nearly four dozen cases…
Cesc Fabregas advises Mikel Arteta on how Arsenal can get better of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham in crunch north London derby Arteta’s side could seal a return to the Champions League on Thursday (Picture: Getty Images)Cesc Fabregas has detailed what Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side will need to do to get the better of Antonio Conte’s Tottenham in Thursday night’s crucial north London derby. The two rivals go head-to-head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in an all-important clash in the race for the top four. The Gunners currently hold a four-point lead over Spurs with three games left to go, meaning a…
Mikel Arteta reveals he sends spies to watch opposition teams warm up ahead of Arsenal games Mikel Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal since 2019 (Photo: Getty)Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that he always sends a member of his backroom team to spy on the opposition team during their warmup ahead of kick-off. The Spaniard shared this tactical insight with Arsenal Women’s head coach Jonas Eidevall during a video promoting the pair signing new contracts with the club. Arteta has extended his stay with the Gunners until 2025 after overseeing a campaign which promises…