Arsenal have told Saint-Etienne they will not agree to loan William Saliba immediately back to the club, reports say.
Saint-Etienne are prepared to sell Saliba this summer, who is rated as one of the brightest prospects in France.
The 18-year-old is being courted by a host of clubs including Manchester United and Watford, but Arsenal were believed to be leading the race for the defender.
But the Sun now claim Arsenal’s chances of sealing the £25million transfer have taken a hit after they rejected Saint-Etienne’s loan proposal.
The feeling at Arsenal is they cannot wait another season for defensive reinforcements, especially when Saint-Etienne are demanding such a high fee for Saliba.
Unai Emery’s transfer budget this summer is just £45m, but the Arsenal boss is still targeting a busy window.
Emery is prepared to offload the likes of Mesut Ozil in a bid to raise further funds for signings.
Arsenal remain in talks with Saint-Etienne and are hopeful they can still strike a deal, despite taking the risk of refusing the French side’s loan demand.
Emery is a big fan of Saliba, who continually impressed the Arsenal scouts last season.
With Saint-Etienne’s key demand now shot down by Arsenal, Emery is concerned they could lose Saliba to Manchester City.
The Premier League champions are believed to have no issue with splashing out £25m on the defender and sending him straight back to France.
