da mrbet： William Saliba would be open to joining Newcastle United on loan for the 2021/22 season, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

da bet sport： Arsenal paid £27m to sign the Frenchman in 2019 but loaned him straight back to Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Etienne. The 20-year-old then spent the first half of the 2020/21 campaign with the Gunners’ youth teams before a temporary switch to Nice in January.

He played 20 Ligue 1 games for the club, averaging 1.9 successful aerial duels, 1.3 interceptions and four clearances per match (via WhoScored).

Saliba has been tipped to enjoy a successful career in England by one-time Saint-Etienne team-mate and former Newcastle ace Yohan Cabaye, who said that the young defender was ‘like a big man’ and that the ‘future looks bright’ for him.

The latest

Ryder reported for Chronicle Live that Newcastle have been monitoring Saliba, now valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, for 18 months.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would not stand in his way if a loan bid arrives from St James’ Park, while the player himself would be keen on a chance to leave the Emirates Stadium and prove his worth in the Premier League.

As a result, this may be a ‘quick and easy deal’ for the Magpies to do, as Ryder tweeted.

The verdict

Saliba’s performance levels in France have actually merited a chance at Arsenal, but Newcastle would be more than happy to reap the rewards of the Gunners’ hesitancy, and this could be a very clever piece of business.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The club’s resources are said to be limited this summer but, with a shrewd approach, they can still enhance their squad significantly.

In other news, Newcastle have also been linked with an Arsenal forward.