Certain Premier League fans might be surprised at Arsenal’s meteoric rise to the forefront of domestic football, but the strides made are actually due to meticulous, well-crafted action from Mikel Arteta and co.
Currently perching atop the Premier League table, five points ahead of current champions Manchester City, the north London outfit are absolutely flying, chasing their first top-flight trophy in almost decades, having failed to even qualify for the Champions League across the past six seasons.
Arteta cannot be bestowed enough praise for his work in crafting a cohesive and confident side, boasting youthful vibrancy and leadership in abundance – truly transformational across every department.
In the 2019/20 campaign, Arteta’s second season as a senior manager after departing Man City as Pep Guardiola’s No. 2, the FA Cup was gleaned, but the club have indeed failed to taste Champions League action thus far, with the likes of talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino even stating that the Spaniard should be sacked last summer if the coveted continental competition remains outside the club’s clutches.
Current fortunes are a far cry from the former lambasting, with the club indeed on course to claim the Premier League trophy, and young centre-back William Saliba is an embodiment of the tremendous increments made over the past several years.
How much is William Saliba worth now?
Signing for the Gunners for £27m in 2019 by none other than divisive coach Unai Emery, Frenchman Saliba spent three seasons out on loan in Ligue 1 before finally earning a shot this season, and his impact has been nothing short of resounding.
Having started all 27 Premier League matches this term, scoring two goals and serving one assist, the £40k-per-week defender has simply been a revelation, forming a cohesive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Arteta’s system.
And with CIES Football Observatory now valuing the titan at a whopping £79m, a 193% increase, it is clear that biding time and awaiting the player’s readiness has paid off lucratively.
Should Arteta decide to sell, he would indeed make a stunning increase on the fee paid, but such an endeavour seems unlikely given his natural taking to the robust and rigorous life of Premier League football.
As per FBref, Saliba ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe’s major leagues for attempted passes per 90 and the top 5% for pass completion, with his ball-playing prowess an illustration of the skills required by a superlative modern defender.
Recently hailed as “perfect” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the rising star is completing 91% of his passes in the Premier League and averaging 1.3 tackles per game, winning 61% of his duels and completing a remarkable 90% of his dribbles, according to Sofascore.
It is no coincidence that Saliba's Premier League introduction draws parallel with the club’s own ascension to the forefront of the game.
And having barely scratched the surface of his professional career, Saliba could blossom into one of the fiercest and most formidable centre-backs in the business. The Gunners have well and truly hit the jackpot with this steely addition.
