Marseille president Pablo Longoria has suggested the club will at least try to sign William Saliba permanently, but it’s not up to them.

Ligue 1 club Marseille have already agreed to sign up two Arsenal players in 2022, with Sead Kolasinac joining permanently in January, and Marseille chief Pablo Longoria confirming that Matteo Guendouzi will sign at the end of the season.

As for the possibility of bringing in a third, Longoria admits they have been impressed by William Saliba during his loan spell.

Yet he highlights that they’re just one of the parties involved in a potential deal.

“It’s a three-way question,” Longoria pointed out. “For the player’s owning club – Arsenal, the player, and Olympique de Marseille.

“We have to see our possibilities. He is very good here, we are very satisfied with his performance.

“William [Saliba] is one of the best young defenders I’ve seen in my career.

“After all, everything depends on the three parties. It’s a matter of market value. But we have extraordinary relations with Arsenal.”

It’s clear that much is true, given the amount of business Arsenal and Marseille have done in the last 12 months alone. If Arsenal were open to selling, you’d imagine Marseille would be given a chance to sign him up.

At the moment, it looks like that’s what it ultimately comes down to – whether or not Arsenal want to keep Saliba or not.

If they want him, he’s still under contract for another couple of years, all they have to do is put him in the team and show him they believe in him.

French outlet BUT recently reported that Saliba could be set for a new long-term deal this summer, with his current contract set to expire in 2024.

The suggestion is that Saliba may well have done enough to convince Mikel Arteta to make him a major part of Arsenal’s future.

On the other hand, Arsenal would reportedly seriously consider a transfer for Saliba if they can’t agree on an extension with him. Marseille will be hoping for the latter outcome.