William Saliba’s declaration that he intends to return to Arsenal and fight for his place next season can help Mikel Arteta move even closer to assembling the ideal first-team squad size during the summer transfer window. Saliba has moved to end any uncertainty regarding his future
William Saliba said: “I belong to Arsenal. I still have two years left. I will be back with Arsenal. I have played zero matches, and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club.”
Assuming that Saliba is reintegrated into the Arsenal squad next season, that may rule out the prospect of another central defender being added to the ranks and taking into consideration what Arteta said about plans for the summer window, it’s an indicator of how many signings supporters can expect before the end of August.
Mikel Arteta said: “If you can financially afford it and we don’t have to do the turnaround in the squad that we’ve had to do, if you ask me what I want it’s 22 outfield players and three goalkeepers,” he said. “You have to come a long way in the aspects that you see on the pitch, it’s a lot of things that have to be put in place, and that takes time.”
So, 22 outfield players and three goalkeepers would be the perfect Arsenal squad size for Arteta. With Matt Turner likely to replace Bernd Leno, he can be the back-up to Aaron Ramsdale, whilst Arthur Okonkwo or Karl Hein could act as the third-choice goalkeeper next season.
