"He's at a very, very high level but not extraordinary" – Former Chelsea defender makes claim about Arsenal's William Saliba

Ex-Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly has claimed that Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is not at the level to start matches for France.

Saliba, 22, has popped up as one of Arsenal's most vital squad members since his club debut in the 2022-23 campaign. Due to his rise in fame, he has also made 10 international appearances, even featuring as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to Tunisia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

During an interview with Get Football News France, Desailly shared his two cents on France's current crop of centre-backs. He said:

"[Dayot] Upamecano and [Ibrahima] Konate – their association is fabulous. And more than that – I think that, individually, they maybe have a level above what we saw with [Raphael] Varane and [Samuel] Umtiti. But before they can express their individuality at a very high level, their association needs to be good."

Commenting on the Arsenal centre-back, the ex-Chelsea man added:

"He hasn't yet had the game time to adapt to that association. I don't believe his individual qualities to be above average. He's at a very, very high level but not extraordinary. So before absorbing the international level, he needs to acclimatise to those associations."

Desailly, who represented Chelsea 222 times during his career, added:

"As things stand, I don't know how to associate him with Konate or with Upamecano so that he can excel and develop all his talent."

Saliba, who guided Arsenal to a Premier League runners-up finish last campaign, has made 47 appearances across competitions for his club so far. He has helped them register 19 shutouts in the process.

Chelsea and Arsenal dealt big transfer blow

Earlier last week, Napoli sporting director Mauro Meluso handed a transfer blow to Chelsea and Arsenal. When asked if Victor Osimhen and other players are likely to leave next January, he replied (h/t Metro):

"Absolutely not. Our squad is very good and we feel relaxed. Of course, we can improve it but we will discuss this topic later. We will certainly get together to understand how and whether to intervene. There will be a meeting between the president and Osimhen's entourage over the next few weeks. It is part of the game."

Osimhen, 24, has been rumored to be interested in sealing a Napoli exit in light of the recent debacle involving a few derogatory TikTok videos. However, if Meluso is to be believed, the Nigerian could opt to extend his Napoli contract and reject bids from the likes of Chelsea.

A former LOSC Lille and VfL Wolfsburg, Osimhen has cemented himself as one of the world's best finishers of late. He has scored 37 goals and laid out six assists in 49 matches since the start of last season.