William Saliba has revealed that ignoring Arsenal's transfer advice helped dramatically change the trajectory of his career. The France international joined the Gunners in the summer of 2019 for £27million from Saint-Etienne, but was immediately loaned back to his boyhood club for another season.
Saliba's early struggles at Arsenal
Upon returning to Arsenal, Saliba found that Unai Emery had been replaced by Mikel Arteta, who deemed him not yet ready for Premier League football. Saliba subsequently spent six months at Nice before Arsenal's hierarchy decided another loan to a Premier League rival would help him adapt to English football.
However, Saliba dug in his heels and argued that a year at Marseille would serve him best. 'Arsenal wanted me to go to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace, but I didn't want to [do that],' Saliba told L'Équipe.
The Marseille gamble pays off
Saliba admitted that the decision was not straightforward. 'I remember that summer, it was either Lille OSC or Marseille. I was on the verge of joining Lille but there was a financial problem. It was this financial problem that led him to OM.'
Despite initial reticence, Saliba embraced the challenge. 'Marseille is a big club, but it is scary. It was the season where it was a bit crazy, where the supporters had gone to the Commanderie (OM's training ground). But, with my agent, we said: 'Marseille, if you go there and have a good season, it is the team in France and things can move quickly.''
Saliba credited Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli for his role. 'Jorge Sampaoli really wanted me. I went to Marseille and things moved so quickly. I played almost all of the matches. My value rose again. I started having fun again.'
A career-defining season
The loan spell proved transformative. 'By March, I was playing my first matches for France. It was an incredible year. I honestly loved Marseille: the supporters, the club, my teammates… football is like that. You build again from the bottom; it's not a problem. Buckle up. If you do things well, you'll get back to the top.'
Saliba's decision to reject Arsenal's advice and join Marseille ultimately revitalised his career, leading to a France debut and a return to Arsenal as a first-team regular.
