William Saliba in action for Arsenal. (imago Images)
According to transfer news by Foot Mercato (h/t Brighton and Hove Independent), Newcastle United are still interested in signing William Saliba from Arsenal on a loan deal. The French defender joined the Gunners from St. Etienne in 2019 and was immediately loaned back to them for the 2019/20 season.
He was sent out on a temporary spell away from the Emirates once again in January this year, but this time to Nice. And the Magpies want to give him his first taste of Premier League football next season by signing him on a loan deal from Arsenal. But is this the right move from Steve Bruce? Let us find out.
Since Saliba could potentially arrive on a loan deal, the contract situation of other defenders at St. James’ Park does not correlate to his signing as long as they are available for the next campaign. Though Federico Fernandez saw his contract expire, he has now signed a new deal with Newcastle.
However, William Saliba could be of use for the Toon. The 20-year-old could get a chance to play regular football in England.
Newcastle, apart from Fernandez, are then left with Jamaal Lascelles, Ciaran Clark, and Fabian Schar as the three centre-backs. Florian Lejeune returns from his loan spell at Alaves, but it is unclear if Steve Bruce sees him as a viable option to start regularly in his defence.
The fact that he loaned him out to Spain shows he did not have him in his immediate plans. Moreover, the two injury-hit seasons at St. James Park would also not do the former Manchester City and Villareal centre-back any favours. And that really makes Saliba a useful acquisition. In simple terms, Newcastle need a defender.
And that urgency is magnified by the fact that the Magpies, especially towards the end of last season, played a formation that featured three centre-backs. That instantly increases the amount of depth a manager would want in the defensive area, and their current roster may fall short of providing Bruce with perennial options to select a back-three from.
Bruce played Emil Krafth and Paul Dummett, two renowned full-backs, as his third centre-back at various points last season. The manager and fans alike would undoubtedly want the team to have more options in that regard, which is where Saliba can slot in well for them if they manage to sign him.
Saliba remains an unknown quantity in Premier League football. That is exactly why a loan move would be the ideal scenario considering that would buy the club more time in case they want to look for a long-term defensive solution. If Saliba fails to impress, they would also be happy to see him go back to the Emirates as they would be under no obligation to keep him.
