Spanish journalist Kike Marin claims Arsenal are interested in a move for 18-year-old Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba this summer.

FBL FRA LIGUE1 REIMS SAINT ETIENNE 1558274020
Saint-Etienne’s French defender William Saliba (L) vies with Reims’ French forward Boulaye Dia during the French L1 football match between Stade de Reims and Saint-Etienne (ASSE) on April 21, 2019, at the Auguste-Delaune stadium in Reims. (Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP / Getty Images)

Central defence is clearly an area where Arsenal need to strengthen in the current window, and all reports coming out of the club suggest they plan to. The Gunners have been linked with players like Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona) and Mario Hermoso (Espanyol), but Spanish journalist Kike Marin has come out to deny the links:

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/1129835077272256515

Instead, Marin suggests Arsenal are in for teenage Ligue 1 defender William Saliba, of Saint Etienne:

https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/1130065697827164161

Previous reports have valued Saliba at around £25m, though the majority of existing articles have linked Manchester United to a move, rather than Arsenal. The young centre-back is very highly rated in France, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see other top Premier League clubs after him.

The Gunners have one advantage over United, given they can still sneak into a Champions League spot for next season if they can beat Chelsea in the Europa League final. The chance to play in Europe’s top-tier competition would likely appeal to a young defender breaking onto the scene, so it’s up to Arsenal to qualify for it.

Marin’s record with Arsenal transfer news has been a little hit and miss over the last year or so, calling some transfers correctly (Aubameyang, Leno) and others incorrectly (Banega, Dembele). We’ll see whether he’s right this time.