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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand chose Arsenal's William Saliba over Red Devils' defender Lisandro Martinez while comparing the two.
Both central defenders are highly rated, but Ferdinand reckons that France international Saliba could become world-class. When asked to pick between the two, Ferdinand told talkSPORT (via Mirror):
"I’ll go Saliba. I think Saliba could potentially be top, top, top."
"I think Martinez answered a lot of critics last year, a lot of doubters about his size and stuff like that, fantastic on the ball. But like this one (comparison). I think also you’re helped by the team you play in. He’s in a very solid, consistent team, Saliba. Martinez isn’t."
Saliba has proved to be integral to Arsenal in the Premier League. In 34 appearances in the competition, he has picked up just four yellow cards, contributed to 14 clean sheets and conceded 31 goals.
Meanwhile, in 32 league appearances, Martinez has been booked eight times while contributing to eight clean sheets and conceding 41 goals.
Saliba signed for Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 for €30 million. After joining the Emirates, the 22-year-old defender completed loan spells with Nice and Marseille. He completed his first full season with the Gunners last year, where he managed 33 appearances across competitions, scoring thrice.
Meanwhile, Martinez completed a transfer to Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022 for €55 million. He has managed 51 appearances across competitions, scoring once.
"Rashford is so, so good"- Arsenal defender William Saliba lavishes praise on Manchester United's Marcus Rashford
Arsenal defender William Saliba lavished praise on Manchester United star Marcus Rashford ahead of their clubs' Premier League clash on September 3 at the Emirates.
The Gunners came away with a 3-1 win, with Rashford scoring the only goal for United. Before the game, Saliba said about the England international (via Manchester Evening News):
“Rashford is so, so good. So (much) technique, so (much) speed. He is a tough player to play against."
The two players have faced off thrice in the Premier League, with Rashford scoring twice. Manchester United have won once, while the Gunners have won twice.
