Rejecting Man Utd, William Saliba, a lifelong Arsenal fan, became No. 1 center back growing up with magical inspiration from Thierry Henry

Arsenal player William Saliba, the Telegraph claim Saliba was approached by Manchester United in January 2019 and the Red Devils made a lucrative offer to sign the defender. William Saliba, who is now a mainstay of Arsenal, originally desired to be like his idol, Thierry Henry, and gave up his position as striker to play center back.

Saliba was inspired by the renowned French football attacker as a child and was born in 2001 in the northeast Parisian district of Bondy. Just ten kilometres from Saliba’s home, at the Stade de France in Paris, Henry captained Arsenal to the Champions League final in 2006 after assuming the captaincy.Saliba was enamored with football at the moment. He decided to pursue a profession in football because he was passionate about the game and wаnted to play it every day. Saliba was a child when Arsenal, led by the renowned Arsene Wenger, was at the pinnacle of the sport and wore traditional French colors. Thus, “Gunners” quickly emerged as Saliba’s preferred team.The person I most admire is Henry. France and Arsenal had several ties throughout Wenger’s tenure as Arsenal’s manager.

I recall watching several other matches, including the Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal. Saliba began as a striker because he aspired to be like his idol Henry when he grew older, but he has since transformed into one of the continent’s most promising defenders. At his first club, AS Bondy, Saliba was taught by the father of Kylian Mbappe, the current biggest star in French football.Saliba went to Montfermeil four years after joining AS Bondy in 2008, when she was seven years old. Saliba was promoted to center back at this point and was limited to playing on the large field. “Coach Montfermeil wаnted to try me as a central defender, and I haven’t changed since then,” he said. “I was always taller than my age-appropriate teammates, so when I switched positions, I began to study the best defenders more and more. I always take into account and pick up tips from Virgil van Dijk’s playing style in particular.Even at the age of fifteen, Saliba kept switching clubs.

 Approximately 500 kilometers south of Paris, he joined Saint-Etienne. At the age of 17, he became pro, getting promoted right away to the Ligue 1 first squad and playing in 16 games during his rookie campaign. Agents for Arsenal negotiated and prevailed in the 2019 transfer window to sign the much sought-after 18-year-old. Saliba claimed choosing Emirates Stadium was a simple choice, even though numerous other elite teams expressed interest in him. “This club is unique,” stated Saliba. “You will be overjoyed to hear that Arsenal is interested. Making the decision was simple and didn’t require much thought.

I was eager to come here as soon as I found out Arsenal was interested.”Saliba was thrilled to join the team he had grown up idolizing, but he struggled mightily at the Emirates. Saliba’s signed contract states that he will play on loan for Saint-Etienne during the 2019–2020 season in order to further his development. When Saliba was the rock that kept Saint-Etienne in the French National Cup final for the first time since 1982, Arsenal’s plan worked. Saliba was out due to ιnjury at Stade de France, therefore he was unable to do anything but watch the home team play. fell to PSG 0-1 as a result of Neymar’s goal.