William Saliba has revealed he turned down the chance to join a Premier League club on loan in 2021 because he believed returning to France offered the quickest route back to the top.
The Arsenal defender admitted he had little future at the Emirates at the time and was instead told to find another club for the season.
Saliba ultimately joined Marseille on loan after a proposed move to Lille failed over financial issues, with the decision proving to be a turning point in his career.
Looking back on that summer, the France international explained that Arsenal wanted him to remain in England.
“They told me to find a club on loan,” Saliba recalled. “Arsenal wanted me to go to Newcastle or Crystal Palace, but I didn’t want to.”
Instead, the 25-year-old narrowed his options to Lille or Marseille.
“It was either Lille or Marseille,” he said. “I was very close to Lille, but there was a financial problem.”
The move to Marseille carried its own risks, with the club experiencing a turbulent period on and off the pitch, but Saliba believed regular football under Jorge Sampaoli would give him the platform to rebuild his reputation.
“My agent and I said if I had a good season at Marseille, I could get into the France squad,” he explained.
The gamble paid off almost immediately.
Saliba established himself as an automatic starter, produced one of the best seasons of his career and earned his first senior France call-up just months later.
“I played almost every match,” he said. “My stock rose and I started to enjoy myself again.”
That campaign transformed perceptions of the defender and paved the way for his long-awaited Arsenal breakthrough the following season.
After returning to north London in 2022, Saliba quickly became one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players and has since developed into one of the Premier League’s leading centre-backs.
He played a vital role as Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last season and remains a cornerstone of both club and country.
Reflecting on his difficult journey, Saliba encouraged young players not to lose belief when setbacks arrive.
“That’s football,” he said. “If you do things right, you’ll get back to the top.”
With hindsight, rejecting Arsenal’s preferred loan destinations proved to be one of the defining decisions of Saliba’s career.
His successful spell at Marseille not only revived his confidence but also laid the foundations for becoming one of the first names on Arteta’s teamsheet and an established France international.