At 22, William Saliba’s sporting career is full of interesting anecdotes. The man who has been named one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season 22/23 started his football career as a centre-forward. He also grew up at AS Bondy, a club in north-east Paris, where he played alongside Kylian Mbappé and was coached by the PSG superstar’s father.
As if that wasn’t enough, he was also signed by Arsenal after his first season in the prestigious league. The Gunners paid €30 million for the transfer, but it took three years after that investment for William Saliba to make his debut for the Premier League club. Below, we’ll give you all the details about the Frenchman’s career, along with his own statements.
William Saliba’s beginnings as a striker, coached by Mbappé’s father
To the northeast of Paris, we can find one of the largest suburbs of the French capital. With over 50,000 inhabitants, Bondy has seen the development of some of the biggest talents in the world of sport. In addition to William Saliba, Kylian Mbappé was also brought up at AS Bondy.
William Saliba played for the club in the northeast of Paris from the age of six until he was thirteen and signed by Montfermeil. During his seven seasons at AS Bondy, the current Arsenal defender was responsible for his team’s goals as he was a centre-forward. He was also coached by Kylian Mbappé’s father for a while.
I was only six years old when I started playing for AS Bondy. It was the local club where I grew up, so I knew everyone. I played as a striker when I was young and I loved it. I was one of the best players in the team, if not the best,” explains William Saliba, who played alongside Kylian Mbappé at AS Bondy, but the current PSG player is two league levels above the Arsenal player.
“We had some very good players in that team. Many of them went on to play professionally, not just in France. Mbappé and I weren’t the only ones; many others did,” explains the Frenchman, who was coached by Kylian Mbappé’s father during one of his spells at AS Bondy.
Speaking of his early days as a striker, William Saliba explains, “I scored a lot of goals, a lot. Every time I played, I scored. If I don’t score in this game, I’ll score two or more in the next game,” explains William Saliba.
Not everything was perfect. William Saliba explains that he was very immature at the time. “I thought I was a very good player, but I was never a captain or anything like that. I was very young mentally; I was happy being a striker; I wasn’t interested in being a captain. I was also very lazy, as my coach always told me. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t made captain,” explains William Saliba, now an adult.
William Saliba’s strange start at Arsenal, away from the Emirates Stadium
After an excellent first season in the top flight with Saint Étienne, the Frenchman attracted the attention of many of Europe’s top clubs. Arsenal won the bid by paying €30 million for William Saliba in the summer of 2019. However, it took three years for the player to make his Premier League debut.
In the 19/20 season, Arsenal sent William Saliba back to Saint Étienne on loan. In his last spell with the French club, the defender played a key role in the team’s run to the Coupe de France final.
The following season, after failing to find a place in Mikel Arteta’s plans, William Saliba once again moved to France on loan loan, this time to Nice. At the southern club, he once again showed his great class and many Gunners fans were clamoring for a chance for the Frenchman.
Having failed to achieve this goal, William Saliba returned home in the summer of 2021 to defend the Olympique de Marseille colours in the 2021/22 campaign. That season, the player made his debut in European competitions, playing 13 games in the Europa League and Conference League.
William Saliba’s great breakthrough at Arsenal
After a loan spell at Olympique de Marseille, William Saliba finally got the chance to prove his worth at Arsenal, three years after the London club completed his signing. After 27 Premier League games and over 2,800 minutes of football in the 22/23 season, the Frenchman earned a place in the English league’s all-star squad for that campaign.
Time has finally proven Arsenal right. Hardened and tempered through thousands of games in French football, in addition to playing in European competitions, William Saliba arrived at the Emirates Stadium in 2022 as a great central defender. According to Transfermarkt, his market value was 40 million euros and has now reached 65 million euros.
Moreover, after making his debut for the French national team more than a year ago, William Saliba has won ten caps and is a regular in the Les Bleus squad.
William Saliba is very happy at Arsenal: “I am part of the family here.”
After several loan spells at French clubs, William Saliba is delighted to have finally broken down the door to join Arsenal. Above all, he is very satisfied with his integration into the Gunners’ dressing room. It is worth noting that, due to being on loan, the Frenchman has rarely spent more than a season in the same dressing room.
“I feel like I am part of the family since I arrived here from loan. Every year, new players come in and the others make them feel at home. This year is no different. Plus, you learn about cultures. I like it when people ask me about France and think about going on holiday to Paris because of what I say,” the player explained.
“We have a great atmosphere here. There is laughter and jokes every day. But when we play, we are serious and work hard. Both are important,” William Saliba explained.
For the Frenchman, there is one key detail from the most recent pre-season tour of the United States that can explain the great atmosphere at Arsenal. “We always gather at the dining table. We don’t choose where to sit for lunch or dinner. This way you have the opportunity to chat and get to know players or coaching staff that you don’t have much contact with.”