Former Arsenal stars thought William Saliba was 'League One level' when he first joined the club: Reports

According to a new report, former Arsenal stars doubted William Saliba's skill level when he initially joined the club.

Arsenal signed the Frenchman from Saint-Etienne for €30 million in 2019 and was immediately loaned back to the Ligue 1 club for a season. By the time Saliba's loan ended, Mikel Arteta had replaced Unai Emery as head coach and was eager to stamp his authority on the squad.

The Spaniard hoped to refresh the squad with younger, hungry players and Saliba was expected to be one of the players who would form a key part of Arteta's plans.

However, ESPN has now reported that several Arsenal players, none of whom are at the club now, were unsure if William Saliba would make the grade. They feared Saliba was 'League One-level' (the third tier of English football) owing to his poor positioning and a tendency to jump into tackles.

The Frenchman was then sent on loan to Ligue 1 two more times, first to OGC Nice and then at Olympique de Marseille, which prompted talk of the end of his Arsenal career.

However, the Frenchman's form with Marseille helped him get a call-up to the French national team. He was also named the Ligue 1 'Young Player of the Year' at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Arteta finally gave the defender a chance to make his mark at the north London club at the start of the 2022-23 season and the defender has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Saliba has started all 25 Premier League games for the Gunners, helping them to the top of the table and making them title contenders.

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Arsenal open talks with William Saliba over a new contract: Reports

William Saliba is challenged by Marcus Rashford during Arsenal's Premier League clash with Manchester United.

Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with Saliba over a possible contract extension. He is currently contracted until the end of the 2023-24 season.

As per Football Insider, Arsenal have started actively working on extending his contract. The Frenchman has publicly expressed his love for the Gunners, stating that he hopes to win many trophies with the club.

He said (via Arsenal's official website):

"I worked hard and everyone at the club helped me to be a good starter but it is not finished. I have to keep going and training hard because we are all good; even the players who don’t start. We are all at the same level so that’s good competition. I want to win everything possible here and to put the club back on the very top. I want to win every title."

Apart from William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka are also reportedly in talks over potential contract extensions.