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Arsenal Cut Short William Saliba’s Loan Deal With St. Etienne

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English Premier League club, Arsenal has announced that William Saliba will not be extending his loan deal with French club, St.Etienne.

The two clubs were in negotiations to allow the defender extend his stay in France so as to be able to play against PSG in theFrench cup final on July 24 but discussions were not successful.

As things stand, Saliba is now expected to pack his bags, leave France, and team up with his new club at London in England.

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Below is the official statement from Arsenal on Wednesday morning, explaining why William Saliba will not be extending his loan at St Etienne.

“Throughout our discussions with St Etienne, our aim has been to protect the welfare of William Saliba as well as the interests of Arsenal Football Club, while honouring the terms of the loan.

“Despite the loan ending on June 30, we were willing to find a way for William to play in the [French] cup final on July 24, despite having no contractual obligation to do so.

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“As William is returning from injury, we asked that St Etienne follow a clear training plan with William in close collaboration with us, to ensure he is fully fit for the start of next season.

“To our surprise we were unable to reach agreement to this plan which was proposed by our medical experts, and we are simply not prepared to risk the welfare of an Arsenal player.

“While it was not our primary concern, and ultimately not relevant as our training plan was not accepted, we also expected not to be financially disadvantaged by extending the loan. This was also not acceptable to St Etienne.

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“We know this is a disappointment for William but he understands we are working to protect his long-term interests and those of Arsenal.”

It will be recalled Arsenal in 2019, signed Saliba on a long-term deal from St. Etienne. The player was however allowed to remain in France to continue his development before linking up with his new club for the 2020/21 football season.