WILLIAM SALIBA has revealed that it was his three years in the Arsenal wilderness which convinced him to sign his new long-term Emirates contract.
The 22-year-old French international defender has finally put pen to paper on a £220,000-a-week deal to 2027.
And he reckons it was having to fight so hard for his Premier League future which has made him the player he is today.
Saliba joined Arsenal in a £27million move from St.Etienne in 2019 but spent his first three seasons back in France on loan.
And it was only last season that he was able to convince manager Mikel Arteta that he was ready for the challenge of English football.