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Former Arsenal right-winger Theo Walcott has commended William Saliba for his defensive resilience and progression in the Gunners' backline. The Englishman also opined that the French defender is one of the best centre-backs in the world at the moment.
This week's Premier League Rising Stars show concentrated on the best young defenders in the league. Walcott appeared as a guest during the discussion and spoke about Saliba. He said (via TBR Football):
“He’s really established himself in that Arsenal team, and he’s helping Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left-hand side which I’m a big fan of as well. Everyone looks at the next best centre-back in this world and he’s arguably probably the best that’s ever existed at this moment in time and that’s saying a lot for a 23-year-old.”
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Despite making high-priced defensive errors against Real Madrid in the UCL quarterfinals and Crystal Palace in the league, Saliba has been decent at centre-back. In the absence of Gabriel Magalhães (hamstring injury), the Frenchman has thrived and proven unshakable in defense.
His impressive performance has seen him register 47 appearances this season, scoring two goals. In the Premier League, the 24-year-old has recorded 54 tackles and 106 clearances, while winning 135 out of 215 contested ground duels (via FootyStats).
Saliba’s brilliance hasn't gone unnoticed, as Real Madrid and a few other European clubs are prioritizing his signature. However, the youngster remains a key figure in Arsenal's backline, and he's apparently in Mikel Arteta's long-term objectives.
"Nobody can deny that" - William Gallas lauds Viktor Gyökeres but urges Arsenal to sign Alexander Isak
Former player William Gallas has advised the Gunners to sign Alexander Isak instead of Viktor Gyökeres this summer. While he acknowledged Gyökeres’ prowess, Gallas suggested that Isak's familiarity with the Premier League puts him ahead of his compatriot.
In a recent interview, the Frenchman said (via Arsenal News):
"Nobody can deny that Gyokeres hasn't been one of the hottest strikers in Europe for two seasons now, but he's been doing it in Portugal. The argument would be that he has scored goals in the Champions League, but there are still doubts about his pedigree in the Premier League. Isak, at Newcastle, he was not good at the beginning. He was a good player, but he didn't have that performance level that he has right now."
Gallas added:
"You need to know if you can give your players time to adapt. But sometimes you can't wait, you need a striker who can score right away. That would be my concern about Gyokeres. I would go for Isak, because he is already proven in the Premier League. He's already posing problems and already knows how to deal with the opponents."
In 48 games for Sporting CP, Gyökeres has bagged 52 goals this season. Meanwhile, Isak has been on the scoresheet 26 times in 39 games for Newcastle United in the ongoing campaign.
