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Marseille will open talks with Arsenal about making William Saliba's loan move permanent after Mikel Arteta said he must return to the Emirates next season.

The Spaniard made it clear the defender "has to come back" to his parent club when his loan deal at Marseille expires as he plans to reintegrate the defender into his side next season. Saliba has expressed his desire to extend his stay in the south of France, however, as he looks to play Champions League football after an impressive campaign where he was named Ligue 1's Young Player of the Year.

Arsenal have promised the centre-half that he will have an 'integral role' in Arteta's side, according to L'Equipe. The north Londoners also want to extend his current contract which runs out in 2024 to prove to the rising star that he is a part of the club's long-term plans.

But Marseille still hope they can work out a deal to bring Saliba back to Marseille next season as club president Pablo Longoria plans to open discussions with Arsenal while being respectful to the Gunners.

He told RMC Sport: “We had a lot of conversations analysing William Saliba’s season, especially in the last few days. He’s coming off an extraordinary season, with one of the highest number of matches played in Europe.