Who is Arsenal bound William Saliba? Stats and characteristics report

Arsenal are moving closer to their second summer signing in the form of Saint-Etienne teenager William Saliba - who will return to the Ligue 1 outfit on loan for the 2019/20 season.

The terms of the deal have been criticised in some quarters, with the Gunners in need of defensive reinforcements in the present rather than next year. However, it’s an agreement that will allow the London club to preserve much of their modest budget for the time being, whilst enabling a player that is still incredibly young to further develop.

After all, despite starting for the first time in the league in September of last year, Saliba only established himself as a regular in the side from March onwards, just prior to his 18th birthday. All in all the defender made 16 appearances in France’s top-flight, three of which came from the bench.

So what did fans of French football learn about the youngster in that time on the pitch, and what can Arsenal fans expect of a player that very few would have watched? We’ve taken a look at his statistics from the 2018/19 campaign to assess just that.

First of all it’s worth noting that although Saliba’s preferred position is at the heart of the defence, his ability to fill in at right-back will not have been overlooked. Indeed, while the teen occupies a significant frame, standing at 6’4”, his ability with the ball at his feet and when it comes to ground duels are his greatest strengths.

In fact, despite his height, if there is one weakness to his game it is arguably in the air having won just 17 of the 33 aerial duels he competed in during ten starts at centre-back.

Instead Saliba is far more comfortable on the deck, and a very proactive defender that looks to get tight to his opponent. An average of 2.3 tackles per 90 minutes indicates as much, often attempting to get a foot in at the earliest opportunity, averaging two interceptions per 90 to boot.

In Ligue 1 the youngster’s eagerness to win possession went unpunished more often than not, and his timing in the challenge was generally very good. Whether or not the 18-year-old’s defending style would be more exposed against strong opposition is unclear - leaving himself prone to being turned and caught out of position - but his strength and recovery pace are both strong.

On the ball, meanwhile, his composure belies his tender years. When Saliba does step in to win possession his first thought isn’t always to play long but often carry the ball forwards himself. He’s confident in stepping out from the back and tends to opt for a more measured passing approach.

The sense of clam that he instilled at Saint-Etienne last season certainly had a clear effect on the team, showing a versatility to play not only in different positions at the back but different tactical systems too.

Almost half of Saint-Etienne’s victories (9/19) came in the 13 matches that Saliba started in Ligue 1 last season, with a marked improvement in terms of the side’s defensive record in said matches.

A 69.2 per cent win rate - up from 40 per cent without the defender starting - came in no small part due to an average of just 0.77 goals conceded per game - down from 1.24. The Europa League qualifiers kept clean sheets in seven of said 13 starts (53.8 per cent) having kept just six in the 25 matches that he wasn’t selected in the XI (24 per cent).

All things considered then, Arsenal fans should be excited about the prospect of signing William Saliba, even if they are made to wait a year to see him in a red shirt.