{"id":556233,"date":"2020-07-01T11:09:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T15:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=556233"},"modified":"2026-01-30T16:50:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:50:04","slug":"arsenal-statement-cites-fitness-plan-and-financial-issues-for-end-of-william-saliba-loan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/07\/01\/arsenal-statement-cites-fitness-plan-and-financial-issues-for-end-of-william-saliba-loan\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal Statement Cites Fitness Plan and Financial Issues for End of William Saliba Loan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arsenal<\/a> have provided a fresh statement on their young defender, William Saliba who was out on loan at AS Saint-\u00c9tienne.<\/p>\n

As the 19-year-old spent last season out on loan in Ligue 1<\/a>, he helped Saint-\u00c9tienne reach the French Cup Final.<\/p>\n

The Coupe De France was to be played out on July 24. However, the two clubs were unable to reach an agreement to extend his loan.<\/p>\n

Arsenal Statement Cites Fitness Plan and Financial Issues for End of William Saliba Loan<\/h2>\n

Two Factors in Ending the Saliba Loan<\/h3>\n

Arsenal<\/a> expressed in their club statement<\/a> that they were willing to allow Saliba to play the final, but issues contributed to the breakdown in talks.<\/p>\n

One of these factors was that the 19-year-old was returning from a lengthy injury. Arsenal wanted to make sure that Saliba was on a training plan which ensured he’d be fit for the start of the season.<\/p>\n

But it was believed that both Arsenal and Saint-\u00c9tienne could not agree on the fitness programme. Thus Arsenal weren’t willing to risk Saliba getting another injury, which could mean he’d be unavailable for the start of the 2020\/21 season.<\/p>\n

“To our surprise we were unable to reach agreement to this [training] plan which was proposed by our medical experts, and we are simply not prepared to risk the welfare of an Arsenal player.<\/p>\n

The other issue was that of finance. Arsenal stated they did not expect to be “financially disadvantaged by extending the loan. This was also not acceptable to St Etienne.”<\/p>\n

Saliba’s Time in France<\/h3>\n

The Frenchman made his debut for Saint-\u00c9tienne in September 2018 in a 3-2 win over Toulouse. He made 13 appearances that campaign and was impressive for the French side.<\/p>\n

His performances in the Alps caught the eye of Arsenal and their North London rivals’ Tottenham Hotspur<\/a>. But after a transfer battle between the two sides, Saliba chose Arsenal.<\/p>\n

The Gunners paid \u00a327 Million for the French Under-20s centre-back and gave him a five-year deal. As part of the deal, Saliba returned to the Alps on a season-long loan.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>