Pundit thinks Mikel Arteta has ‘upset’ 22-year-old Arsenal player, that could backfire now

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Jay Bothroyd believes Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has ‘upset’ William Saliba, and that is why the Frenchman is playing hardball in contract talks.

The Gunners signed the talented central defender from Saint-Etienne back in 2019. He was viewed as one of the best young defenders in the world then, and he finally got the chance to prove his class in the Premier League this season.

Now, Saliba is on the verge of entering the final year of his contract at Arsenal. Negotiations haven’t been easy, and Bothroyd thinks he knows why.

Jay Bothroyd thinks Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ‘upset’ William Saliba

Just a few months after William Saliba joined Arsenal, Unai Emery was sacked and Mikel Arteta replaced him.

The Frenchman was on loan back at Saint-Etienne then, but he was set to return to Arsenal in the following summer and become a part of the first team.

Arteta, however, just did not believe he was ready. He kept him at Arsenal for six months without giving him a chance and then sent him out on loan twice – first to Nice and then to Marseille.

Bothroyd believes that ‘upset’ Saliba, and that’s probably why he’s making things difficult in contract negotiations.

The pundit tweeted: “Honestly I think Saliba has every right to demand similar money to top Arsenal earners.

“It wasn’t long ago that Chambers and Mari were chosen ahead of him, Arteta saying he’s not progressing fast enough! That obviously upset him, now Saliba holds the cards you have to pay him.”

Saliba, 22, will enter the final year of his contract in July, and the latest we’ve heard is that Arsenal are ‘shocked’ by his demands.

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If William Saliba really is upset with Mikel Arteta, this could backfire badly on the Gunners.

However, after a season as good as this one where it became clear that his loan spells at Nice and especially Marseille really helped him become the player he is today, it doesn’t make sense for him to be upset, does it?

Saliba is well within his right to demand whatever he wants from Arsenal before agreeing to sign a new contract this summer, but what Arteta did to him a few years ago really shouldn’t play a part in his decision-making.

It will be interesting to see what will happen in the coming weeks.