Arsenal make €30m Saliba offer – but can they afford to delay his arrival?

Arsenal have reportedly launched a €30 million move to sign Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba, according to reports in France, but could the Gunners already be making a mistake?

According to RMC, as cited by Get French Football News, the Ligue 1 side are refusing to let the player leave this summer and will demand that he remains at the club on loan as part of any deal.

While Saliba is very young and inexperienced, it would already be a huge loss for the Gunners to spend so heavily on one key target, only to see him remain at his current club on loan.

At just 18 years of age, Saliba is one of the most promising young defenders in France and it would be a huge ask for him to step directly into the Arsenal XI, but is that a risk that the club should take?

The defence is clearly an area that the Gunners need to improve and no matter the cost, they should look to make Saliba a first-team player next season.