LONDON, June 26, William Saliba has revealed he turned down the chance to join Newcastle United on loan before a season at Marseille transformed his career and set him on the path to winning the Premier League with Arsenal.
The France international, now regarded as one of English football’s finest defenders, spent his first three seasons at Arsenal away from north London after joining from Saint Étienne in 2019. Loans to Saint Étienne and Nice followed before the Gunners sought to give Saliba experience of English football ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Newcastle and Crystal Palace emerged as possible destinations, but Saliba had other ideas.
“Arsenal wanted me to go to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace, but I didn’t want to do that,” Saliba told L’Equipe.
“I remember that summer, it was either Lille or Marseille. I was on the verge of joining Lille but there was a financial problem. Marseille is a big club, but it is scary. It was the season where it was a bit crazy, where the supporters had gone to the training ground.”
The decision to choose Marseille proved pivotal. Under the management of Jorge Sampaoli, who had made clear his desire to sign the defender, Saliba flourished.
“But, with my agent, we said: ‘Marseille, if you go there and have a good season, it is the team in France and things can move quickly.’ Sampaoli really wanted me,” Saliba said.
“I went to Marseille and things moved so quickly. I played almost all of the matches. My value rose again. I started having fun again. By March, I was playing my first matches for France. It was an incredible year.”
The defender’s revival at the Stade Vélodrome was so emphatic that he returned to Arsenal as a transformed player. He has since been an ever present in the PFA Team of the Season, playing a pivotal role in the Gunners’ Premier League title triumph and their run to the Champions League final, where they were beaten on penalties by Paris Saint Germain.
“I honestly loved Marseille: the supporters, the club, my teammates… football is like that,” Saliba said. “You build again from the bottom; it’s not a problem. Buckle up. If you do things well, you’ll get back to the top.”
The decision to spurn Newcastle proved defining. Arsenal’s faith in sending their young defender to a club he described as “scary” one renowned for its passionate, demanding support, ultimately paid dividends. Saliba returned to England battle hardened, his reputation restored, and has not looked back since.
