William Saliba is thriving on loan at Nice
William Saliba has criticised Mikel Arteta for “judging” him after just two-and-a-half games before the Arsenal starlet was sent out on loan to Nice last month.
The French defender joined the Gunners for €30 million in 2019 from St Etienne and returned to the Ligue 1 club last season on loan.
But after returning to the club, Saliba was left disappointed with the lack of opportunities, featuring in just two EFL Trophy games.
A loan to Nice has seen his form pick up immediately, winning the club’s player of the month award for January, with Saliba critical of his former manager.
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“It is clear that so much has changed in the last year,” the 19-year-old told RMC Sport.
“When I saw that the coach changed, a lot changed for me too. In this year there has been a lot of change. He [Arteta] judged me on two-and-a-half matches. I would have liked for him to play me more. But he told me I wasn’t ready.
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“I was waiting for him to give me a chance, but football is like that. When I initially came to Arsenal the league looked very good, so I showed up to training and wanted to train on my own to show the coach I was ready.
“I am happy now. I want to play for Nice. The idea when you are part of a team is a better feeling for me.”
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