Arsenal's Willian Saliba set for loan spell at OGN Nice

Arsenal's Willian Saliba set for loan spell at OGN Nice

 

William Saliba will spend the second half of the season at OGC Nice after being unable to make his debut at Arsenal. (Photo credit: Arsenal.com)

There are certain transfer moves you look at and feel there’s more to it, like the Paulinho and Kevin Prince Boateng to Barcelona, there are some you expect so much from and get disappointed at the end like the many strikers that failed at Chelsea, including Adriv Shevchenko and Fernando Torres but how do you explain some supposed solutions that clearly didn’t even get a chance to impress?

Arsenal’s William Saliba, a player fans thought would solve their defensive challenges just over a year ago is now being expected to join OGC Nice on loan for the remainder of the season.

How things happen quickly in football, Arsenal went seven without a win just few weeks ago but have now conceded just once in three games, leaving them rising on the table and hoping for a better 2021, but the manner in which they have treated the young Frenchman leaves so much to be desired.

Negotiations are at an advanced stage with the Ligue 1 club unlikely to pay a loan fee but expected to cover Saliba's wages, worth in the region of £40,000-a-week.

 

Nice will not have an option to buy Saliba as Arsenal view the 19-year-old as an exciting prospect for the future but manager Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff believe he needs regular game-time elsewhere to toughen him up for Premier League action.

The centre-back is yet to make a senior appearance following his £27 million move from St. Ettiene in the summer of 2019 when Unai Emery was in charge but he spent the campaign at the French side as part of the agreements that landed him for Arsenal.

 

There were issues surrounding registration of players, Mesut Ozil and Sokratis were left out of the Arsenal squad for the current campaign, a move that got fans divided, then fans realized they wouldn’t be able to see Saliba on the pitch at least for the first half of the season.

 

Arsenal were unable to move on Skhodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac before the window closed in October but couldn’t register more than a certain number of non-homegrown players.

 

A second loan spell back at Saint-Etienne collapsed at the 11th hour in September due to an issue with paperwork and he was subsequently linked with several Championship clubs but a deal failed to materialise.

Although there are staff members at the club who believe Saliba would benefit from a spell in a league as fiercely competitive as the Championship, ESPN revealed on Dec. 4 that Saliba preferred a move back to France.

He has struggled to settle in England after a difficult year in which he has suffered with off-field issues but signed a deal with a Arsenal to 2024 and remains focused on making a success of himself at the club in the years to come.