William Saliba sends message to Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal comeback

William Saliba has been training hard in the gym ahead of his return to Arsenal, sending a strong message to manager Mikel Arteta.

The France international, 21, is expected to be part of the Gunners' pre-season tour to the United States. The squad will fly across the Atlantic shortly to face Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea in friendlies before taking on Sevilla in the Emirates Cup on July 30.

Saliba, 21, joined Arsenal in a £27million transfer three years ago but has never made a senior outing for the club, playing two EFL Trophy games for the U23s. He's spent time on loan at Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille and excelled during his most-recent spell in France.

Saliba made 52 appearances for Marseille last season to help them finish second in Ligue 1. He was named the competition's Young Player of the Year and in the Team of the Year. He also made his senior debut for France, picking up five caps to date.

Arsenal fans are desperate to see Saliba in action and it seems they will finally get their wish. He was not part of the squad for their friendly against Nurnberg on Friday - which finished 5-3 to the Gunners - after being given an extended break due to his international commitments. The youngster was part of France's squad for their June fixtures.

Saliba has shared pictures of himself training in the United Arab Emirates on Instagram. The defender has been working with Nic St-Maurice, a coach who has more than 15 years of experience training with professional athletes. He boasts more than 42,000 followers on Instagram.

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There have been rumours linking Saliba with a permanent move to Marseille, but he is set to commit his future to Arsenal. There was speculation over a new contract in June and the Frenchman has expressed his desire to play for the Gunners in interviews.

"I belong to Arsenal - and I still have two years there," Saliba said in June. "I will be there for pre-season with Arsenal. I have played zero matches with Arsenal and I want to show them what I'm made of and have the chance to play for the supporters and for this big club."

Saliba went on to say: "In any case, leaving like that would be a shame."

Arteta has previously said he wants Saliba to be part of his squad for the upcoming campaign. Speaking in May, he said: "He has to come back. He has the experience and the environment necessary to be competitive with us."

Arteta added: "If he had stayed with us this year, with a match of Premier League a week, with Ben White and Gabriel, he wouldn't have had half the playing time he had with Marseille, that's for sure. For his growth and what he can do next season that wouldn't have been good.

"William wasn't with us because he wouldn't have had the playing time to gain experience. That's it, there's nothing else."