William Saliba is France’s number one wonderkid
After signing William Saliba for £27million a year before the hype arrived this summer, Arsenal could have saved themselves millions, even if it meant sacrificing a year’s worth of action as they loaned him back to Saint-Etienne for the season.
This weekend, Saliba was voted France’s number one wonderkid in a Twitter poll. Via Get French Football News, Saliba won a poll with more than 50,000 votes after passing through several rounds and beating out Odsonne Edouard in the final.
Other star players like Eduardo Camavinga, Houssem Aouar and Dayot Upamecano were included in the initial poll, but Saliba beat all of them.
While the results of the poll are a little dubious, however, it is fair to say that Saliba would not be an Arsenal player next season had the club not swiftly acquired him last year.
Ceballos open to leaving Real Madrid
After signing for Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid last summer, midfielder Dani Ceballos might now be open to leaving the Bernabeu on a permanent amid concerns about his playing time ahead of the rescheduled European Championships in 2021.
Ceballos had intended to return to Madrid and fight for his place, but with Zinedine Zidane turning to other options, should his playing time dwindle next season, he could find his place in the Spain set-up under threat, which he says would be a major problem.
“My objective is to play in the European Championship and Olympic Games, and when they are happening you need to find a team where you feel important,” Ceballos told Canal Sur Radio via the London Evening Standard.
“The future is far away, we can’t predict what will happen in a month and a half. Now we are focused on the postponed game against Manchester City on the 17th.”
Ceballos had earned a regular starting role under Mikel Arteta prior to the current suspension of the season. Perhaps he could be convinced to rejoin the Gunners in the summer, especially if his relationship with Arteta continues to flourish.
The four positions Arteta wants to address
This summer, Arsenal have plenty of work to do in the transfer market. And, per reports, there are four main positions that Arteta would like to see the club address if they have the resources to do so.
According to Goal, Arteta has raised right-back, centre-back and central midfield as his main positions of concern. Loanees Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari can both be signed on permanent deals in the summer, filling the first two positions, while Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is viewed as the ideal candidate in central midfield.
