William Saliba has signed for Marseille on a season-long loan with no option to buy.

Recent reports suggest that Arsenal still view Saliba as part of their long-term future, and they excluded a permanent sale from the loan deal in a meeting with the player’s agent.

David Ornstein, Chris Wheatley, and Fabrizio Romano were among those to deny Arsenal had agreed to an option to buy for Marseille, and it seems they were all correct.

Before deciding on Marseille, Saliba rejected the possibility of a loan to Rennes, as he still feels wronged by their treatment of him in the 2020 window.

He had an agreement to join Rennes on a season-long loan last summer and was ready to make the move, but they stalled and never closed the deal, leaving him hanging until the end of the window.

Arsenal have confirmed the loan. Technical director Edu said: “Together with William, we have decided it will be good for his continued development to spend another season on loan. William joined us as an 18-year-old, and he is still only 20, so he is still developing all the time.

“William is a player with strong natural ability and next season has the potential to be really beneficial for him at Marseille, a good club. To play another season in Ligue 1 will be very important for his development. We will of course be keeping in close contact with William during the season and wish him all the best in France with Marseille.”