Mikel Arteta
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Arsenal have the best player in the world in his position in William Saliba, according to a former Gunner. Mikel Arteta's men have enjoyed a fine start to the season, winning every game so far, including the weekend's away win over Sunderland, who are no pushovers, especially when playing at home.
Manchester City have managed to match Arsenal's record, but the Gunners have taken care of the business in front of them, and they will be delighted to have been so solid at the back in the absence of star defender Saliba. The Frenchman played through a back injury towards the end of last season, and after doing the same at the World Cup, he required surgery to correct the issue.
Saliba is expected back in November, but by Arteta's admission, the club are not sure of a timeline, simply adding more and more load to the defender's schedule and seeing how his body takes to it until he is in a position of reaching full fitness.
Arsenal have done excellently without Saliba so far, but there are bigger games where is going to be a miss, and that's because, according to former Gunner Jérémie Aliadière, he is the best centre-back in the world.
"Yeah, I think so. One hundred per cent (he is the best)," he told LiveFootballTickets.com. "There’s nothing in his game that he’s lacking. He’s good in the air, he’s strong, he’s quick. One-v-one, nobody can get past him.
Saliba's 2025/26 Premier League stats
Appearances: 31
Pass success: 92.9%
Aerial duels won: 2.4 per game
Tackles: 1.1 per game
Clearances: 4.3 per game
Interceptions: 0.5 per game
"I can’t really think of a silly mistake he’s made where he gives the ball away. And knowing that he played with injuries and pain for a good part of last season and then at the World Cup, you just think: imagine if he stayed fit and was really at 100 per cent? So, yeah, I would say he is."
Saliba is at Arsenal to stay
Saliba has been linked with clubs like Real Madrid recently, with the world's biggest clubs always likely to hold an interest in the centre-back, but Aliadiére believes Arsenal have every chance of keeping hold of him in the long term.
“The composure and leadership he has shown on the pitch. And then that he has done it in a really natural way without any flashing lights, just being himself. He’s very quiet and at the same time very confident.” - Mikel Arteta on Saliba.
"I think so, yeah," added the former frontman. "I think Arsenal can keep him. Obviously, Arsenal now need to keep pushing on. Winning the Premier League back-to-back would be fantastic and maybe going even closer in the Champions League — lifting that would be amazing.
"If you do that, the players want to win trophies. When you know you’re at a club where you’re loved, you’ve got a great relationship with your manager and the staff, the fans love you, and on top of that you’re competing for the Premier
League and Champions League every season, why would you leave?
"Unless you had a dream as a kid to play for Madrid or Barcelona, as a lot of players do, and maybe one day you might. But I think he’s still so young. You just want to try to win trophies. That’s the most important thing."