Arsenal's William Saliba has confidently placed himself among the Premier League's top three defenders,
Arsenal’s William Saliba has confidently placed himself among the Premier League’s top three defenders, while maintaining that Virgil van Dijk is “the boss.”
Despite being 32, Liverpool’s Van Dijk remains a dominant force and a respected figure among younger Premier League defenders.
One such admirer is Arsenal’s Saliba, who played a crucial role in helping Mikel Arteta’s side limit their Premier League goals conceded to just 29 in the 2023/24 season.
However, Saliba still looks up to Van Dijk, even though Liverpool finished seven points behind Arsenal. Speaking to L’Equipe, he praised Van Dijk’s commanding presence, saying: “Van Dijk has aura, for example. He’s the boss, he commands everything. You feel he scares attackers, but I’m starting to feel the same way.”
Saliba, expressing his self-assessment, said: “I think I am in the top three [defenders in the league], yes. We finished as the best defence, I watch a lot of matches. I am a very humble person but last season, just like this season, I am in the top three defenders.”
Although Saliba’s claim is strong, he might not start for France at Euro 2024. In their latest friendly—a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg—he was on the bench as Didier Deschamps opted for a three-man defense featuring Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde, and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate. If Konate remains fit, he is expected to be a starter for France.
Deschamps may use a back four at the Euros, though his recent selections have led to some uncertainty. France will compete in a group with Poland, Austria, and the Netherlands, with the latter being their toughest opponent. Van Dijk and his team will aim for their first European Championship victory since 1988, when Germany also hosted the tournament.
(Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
When France faces the Netherlands on June 21 at 8 pm (BST), there could be four Liverpool players on the field, with Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch included in the Dutch squad as well.
Additionally, the tournament will feature several Liverpool players: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez for England, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai captaining Scotland and Hungary respectively, Diogo Jota for Portugal, and Vitezslav Jaros as the backup goalkeeper for the Czech Republic.
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