Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly apologises to Arsenal star over ‘huge misjudgement’

Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has issued an apology to Arsenal defender William Saliba after making a ‘huge misjudgement’ about the trajectory of his career.

Saliba has developed into one of the best defenders in the world over the past four seasons, contributing to Arsenal’s superb defensive record under Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal’s £27m signing of Saliba in 2019 was met with much excitement but he was loaned straight back to French side Saint-Etienne before having two more loan spells in Ligue 1.

Saliba has not looked back since breaking into Arteta’s first-team, however, and is now regarded as one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League.

French football legend Desailly was sceptical of Arsenal’s move for Saliba and admits he ‘never’ imagined he would become a ‘world-class’ player.

The former World Cup and Champions League winner is ‘so proud’ of his compatriot’s development and believes the best is yet to come from Saliba.

‘I have to apologise to William Saliba, because I never saw this level of performance coming,’ Desailly, one of the best defenders of his generation, told Card Player.

‘I looked at him when he first joined Arsenal and I didn’t see him becoming a world-class player – that was a huge misjudgement!

‘He has shown leadership, consistency and he has such a high ceiling; we haven’t even seen the best of him yet.

‘I’m so proud of him, especially with how he’s cemented himself into Mikel Arteta’s system and become a crucial player for them.

‘The club was desperate for leaders a few years ago, and Saliba is now part of the leadership group there. He’s helped take the Gunners to the next level and allowed them to challenge for major trophies.

‘France are so lucky to have him too; they can rely on a brilliant centre-back in him at the upcoming World Cup.

‘He’s a really valuable asset to both his club and country, and I look forward to seeing how good he can become.’

Saliba’s form has helped Arsenal move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with 16 games remaining.

The Gunners are favourites to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004 but Desailly has warned that the title race is ‘far from over’.

‘The Premier League is far from over and stranger things have happened in football – that’s what makes it such an amazing game,’ he added.

‘Arsenal need to be careful by not becoming too distracted by the Champions League or other domestic competitions like the FA Cup.

‘They can’t afford to lose any key games that might knock the wind out of their sails, such as their match this weekend against Manchester United.

‘Being able to recover psychologically from a defeat in a big game is vitally important, but not every team can do it. We’ve seen many times in the past where a result has had a spiralling effect on a team, and they never really recover to their previous standards.

‘While Arsenal have accumulated a commanding lead in the Premier League table, things can change on a weekly basis.’

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