Overview
- In late May 2026, Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke recounted asking how the club could find a player like Virgil van Dijk and said former academy director Per Mertesacker immediately named William Saliba.
- Arsenal signed Saliba in the summer of 2019 and deliberately kept him on multiple loans in France so he could develop before joining the first team.
- Mikel Arteta initially judged Saliba not ready for Arsenal's starting XI, a decision that led to loan spells at Saint-Étienne, Nice and Marseille that built his experience.
- Saliba was integrated into the squad from the 2022/23 season and became a central defender whose performances helped deliver the Premier League title.
- Kroenke emphasized he does not run transfers and said his role is to understand the club's strategy up front so there is accountability if decisions go wrong, a point he used to show the signing confirmed Arsenal's long-term approach.