Sagna refutes claims Arteta ‘doesn’t like’ Arsenal youngster
Bacary Sagna has rubbished claims suggesting that Mikel Arteta is not a fan of Arsenal youngster William Saliba.
It has previously been reported that Arteta has a fractious relationship with the young defender.
Arsenal paid £27m to bring Saliba in from Saint-Etienne in 2019. He is yet to make his senior debut for the Gunners.
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Following brief spells at Saint-Etienne and Nice, he joined Marseille on loan ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Saliba has been praised for his performances as he has been a standout for the French side this term.
The 20-year-old’s contract does not expire until 2024. It is currently unclear whether Saliba will be involved for Arsenal next season.
Sagna has defended Arteta regarding his treatment of the centre-back:
“I’ve watched Saliba this season and his performances have been great for Marseille,” Sagna said (via The Mirror).
“He’s been one of the key players defensively, he’s very calm with the ball. He can play out from the back, he’s very strong, good with his challenges.
“I think he just needed some time to play. And Mikel understands that. It’s not that he doesn’t like him, but I think at the age of 18 or 19 you need play, commit to playing every single weekend. He’s not one for staying on the bench, or not wanting to get involved.
“When you are at Arsenal, you need to go somewhere and play and progress. This is what it is, so I’m looking forward to seeing him back.
“He’s certainly progressed in France but the Premier League is a different animal. I think he has the ability to succeed and look forward to seeing him back.”
Elsewhere, Arsenal have made the ‘first contact’ ahead of a surprise summer move for ex-Chelsea winger Eden Hazard, according to French outlet Foot Mercato (via Sports Witness).
They report that Arsenal are ‘thinking’ of making a move for Hazard and have already ‘initiated the first contacts’ with the aim to bring the Belgian international to the Emirates.
Hazard won the Premier League twice with Chelsea and on a personal level picked up the PFA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and was Chelsea’s Player of the Year on four occasions.
Foot Mercato also report that Hazard’s current priority is too fight for his place at Madrid and is not considering a move at present.
However, Real are reportedly close to bringing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe to the club, meaning Hazard could find minutes even harder to come by.
