Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is “fed up” with the ongoing situation regarding centre-back William Saliba.
And he has confirmed the club will attempt to send the 19-year-old out on loan again in January after failing to do so in the summer transfer window.
Saliba joined the Gunners from Saint-Etienne for a fee of £27m last year, but spent last season on loan with the French club as part of the deal.
After making the move to north London in the summer it was widely expected that he would become a first-choice player under Mikel Arteta.
However, he has yet to feature this season amid speculation that he is struggling to adapt in England, and reports from France claimed Saliba is growing impatient with his lack of game-time.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Speaking about Saliba ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League game against Molde on Thursday, Arteta admitted it was a difficult scenario for all involved.
“I am fed up with the situation because as you could see we tried to find a way in the last few days [of the transfer window] to give him some football,” Arteta said.
“I explained that he needed that transition year when we decided to buy him and send him on loan to Saint-Etienne, for many reasons that didn’t happen, he didn’t have that transition year and he needs to go through that.
“At the moment, with the amount of central defenders that we have in the team we had to leave him out of the squad which is painful because we have some injuries and we could have used him, but it’s part of this profession.”
Arteta was then asked if Saliba could leave on loan in January, and replied: “Yes.
“We certainly tried in the last few days of the transfer window to find the right club and we had it, but at the end of the day we could not make it.
“We will review his situation in the next few weeks, sit down with him as well and see what is the best thing to do. But it will depend on him and other players’ situations as well.”
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
