Can this youngster shore up the Arsenal backline?

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Kolkata, August 27: There will be huge expectations from William Saliba at Arsenal as he finally made his return to the Emirates after completing a season-long loan at his boyhood club AS Saint-Etienne.

The Ligue 1 side sold him to the Gunners in 2019 for a reported £27 million, before immediately taking the Frenchman back on a loan deal as a part of the original deal.

The Gunners have redeemed themselves since Mikel Arteta took over as the manager and even won the FA Cup that looks like a silver lining following a disappointing league campaign.

Many expect Saliba to shore up the Arsenal backline on his own despite the fact that he is only 19. Is he cut out for the job or should the fans lower their expectations? Here, we do a SWOT analysis of the youngster.

Style of play

Most managers nowadays like to operate with ball-playing defenders and Arteta is no exception. Saliba is exceptionally good on the ball and has averaged a passing accuracy of 92.1% last season for Saint-Etienne. He is also technically and tactically gifted and can be useful on either side of a back two or back three.

Strengths

Saliba is gifted in terms of pace and thanks to that, he has excellent recovery. The 19-year-old is tailor-made for a high-line defensive system and would be a huge asset for the Gunners in many years to come.

Weakness

The youngster is excellent on the ball, but sometimes he can be caught off-guard due to his over-confidence. He has been caught 0.6 times per match on an average last season and must improve on his concentration levels.