AC Milan tried to buy William Saliba from Arsenal this summer | OneFootball

AC Milan wanted to sign William Saliba on a permanent deal over the summer, but Arsenal immediately rejected the request.

Arsenal signed William Saliba in the summer of 2019 and sent him back on loan to Saint-Etienne for a year, but that didn’t stop AC Milan trying to sign the defender before he’d even played a game for his parent club.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Milan wanted Saliba on a permanent deal this summer. Arsenal said no straight away, but they are thinking about sending the centre-back out on another loan in the winter transfer window.

“Arsenal are considering to send Saliba on loan,” Romano told the Here We Go podcast (via HITC). “Arsenal not happy with his situation at the club, just (as) for the player.

“AC Milan tried to sign him on a permanent deal but Arsenal immediately said no. They want him in the future.”

At the moment, Saliba is playing for the Arsenal academy teams much more often than he’s appearing in first-team squads. He’s up to three Premier League 2 appearances and one in the EFL Trophy, whilst not making a single senior squad since October 1st.

Mikel Arteta suggested they’re considering a January loan, though nothing is final just yet. Ideally, he gets a first-team opportunity before then and proves he can add something this season, but there are evidently no guarantees.