Our French international defender William Saliba has signed a new long-term contract with us.
The 22-year-old was an integral part of our 2022/23 campaign, making 33 appearances in all competitions while scoring three times and assisting once from centre-back.
William also has eight senior international caps to his name, with his impressive performances rewarding him with a place in the France squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last December.
Our central defender joined us in a permanent deal from Saint-Etienne in July 2019 and spent the 2019/20 season back on loan with the Ligue 1 side.
William started the following campaign with silverware when he was an unused substitute in our 2020 FA Community Shield win over Liverpool. The second half of the 2020/21 season ended with a short-term loan deal, which saw William back in his country of birth, when he featured 22 times for Nice, including a first goal in senior football.
William returned to France for the 2021/22 season in order to gain further valuable experience, joining Marseille on a season-long loan deal. William played 52 times for Marseille, featuring in four different competitions and becoming a central figure in the team.
Sporting Director Edu said: “We are so happy to have signed a new deal with William Saliba. William is part of our vision to keep our talented young players, who will hopefully be successful with us for many years to come, so that we can grow and progress together. I know the supporters will be just as happy as we are to see William continue with us in the future.”
Mikel Arteta added: “To have William extend his contract with us was something we have wanted to do for a long time. William proved last season just how good and how important he is to our squad.
"The ability he has at his young age of just 22 is exciting, and there is of course so much more room for development with any player at this stage of their career. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with William in the years to come.”
As well as signing a new contract, William will also wear a new shirt number for next season, moving to the number 2 for the 2023/24 season. Purchase your new Saliba shirt here.
William’s new contract is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.
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