Arsenal reportedly agree £25m William Saliba transfer but he will return to France on loan

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Arsenal are on the verge of signing a new defender but he will not be an immediate fix. According to The London Evening Standard, William Saliba is close to joining Arsenal in a £25m deal.

But the young defender will return to Saint-Etienne on loan. He will continue his development in Ligue 1 for another season before making the move to The Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal want Saliba for this season but Saint-Etienne are holding firm on their demands. And the Gunners are ready to agree to this deal to ensure they do not miss out on the French starlet.

Saliba is a highly-rated young centre-back, who already has 19 appearances to his name despite his young age. Saint-Etienne want to keep the 18-year-old for one more season before sending him to England.

Arsenal are now discussing the breakdown of their payment to Saint-Etienne. As he is not joining immediately, the North London side want to pay a small upfront fee to keep funds for other signings.

What can Arsenal do in the short-term?

Saliba is the long-term solution for Unai Emery’s defensive problems. But the France U20 starlet is still another year away from breaking into the Arsenal first-team. So what can Arsenal do in the interim period?

It is clear that Emery’s men still require another centre-back due to the poor form of Shkodran Mustafi, the injury problems to Rob Holding and the doubt surrounding Laurent Koscielny’s future.

One solution could be to integrate a younger player, such as Krystian Bielik or Calum Chambers. This would be a cheap short-term fix ahead of Saliba’s summer 2020 arrival.