Cesc Fabregas reveals role he played in Arsenal signing William Saliba after north London derby masterclass

Cesc Fabregas revealed his scouting report played a role in convincing Arsenal to sign their man of the moment William Saliba.

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The France international joined the Gunners three years ago from Saint-Etienne but it wasn’t until the start of the current season that he was given his chance to impress at first team level.

After three loan spells back in Ligue 1, Saliba has quickly begun to justify his lofty reputation and delivered an absolute masterclass in Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Spurs in Saturday’s north London derby.

Former Gunners skipper Fabregas singled out the 21-year-old for praise after the game and gave an insight into the process Arsenal went through in order to beat many of Europe’s leading clubs to Saliba’s signature.

He told BT Sport: ‘It was a fantastic complete performance. I would like to just mention a special name but nobody really spoke about because he was so good.

‘I think he made it look so easy that’s, William Saliba. This boy was in France for the last three years on loan.

‘I was watching him very closely because an ex-Arsenal scout asked me three years ago when we (Monaco) were playing against Saint-Etienne in a cup game.

‘I was rested, it was a cup game and he told me ‘have a look at this boy I want to sign him’. He was 18 or 19, he was the best player on the pitch. That shows you the potential of this guy he makes it look so easy. Potentially he could be Arsenal’s centre back for the next 15 or 20 years.’

While it was Saliba who caught Fabregas’ eye, it was often criticised midfielder Granit Xhaka, who scored the game clinching third goal, earning him the man of the match award.

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