Saliba was Arsenal scouting success that Chelsea spent huge sum to match from

Saliba, a Success Story That Chelsea Is Now Matching

Saliba: Arsenal's Scouting Triumph

Attracting William Saliba to the Emirates back in 2019 was recognized as an excellent piece of business for the Gunners. Brought in for a fee in the region of £27 million, and despite being immediately loaned back to Saint-Etienne, Saliba's acquisition was widely regarded as a coup. A commanding center-back, Saliba has impressed during loan spells at Nice and Marseille, helping the latter win the 2022/23 Ligue 1 title. Saliba would return to Arsenal during the summer and make his senior debut in the 2022/23 season. Quickly establishing himself as a regular in Mikel Arteta's side, Saliba's performances have only further underlined the wisdom of Arsenal's initial decision to sign him.

Chelsea's Costly Pursuit of a Saliba-like Figure

Chelsea, who have long been linked with a move for Saliba, have seemingly acknowledged his quality and the hole in their squad that he would fill. Spending a club-record transfer fee on a central defender was not something new to Chelsea. They had previously splashed out £72 million to sign Wesley Fofana from Leicester City. However, their latest outlay of £80 million is £15 million more than Leicester received and £53 million more than Arsenal paid for Saliba. Benoit Badiashile was the defender Chelsea eventually recruited. The France international arrives from Monaco with a strong reputation, but questions remain as to whether he represents as astute a piece of business as Saliba was for Arsenal. Time will tell whether Chelsea have made a smart move by spending such a significant sum on Badiashile. However, Saliba's trajectory suggests that Arsenal may have got the better end of the deal when they signed him three and a half years ago.

Saliba vs. Badiashile: A Statistical Comparison

The following table compares Saliba and Badiashile's statistics from the 2022/23 season: | Metric | Saliba | Badiashile | |------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------| | Minutes Played | 3,150 | 3,390 | | Clean Sheets | 17 | 15 | | Goals Conceded | 22 | 28 | | Tackles Won | 125 | 103 | | Interceptions | 100 | 87 | | Blocks | 65 | 59 | | Clearances | 200 | 180 | | Aerial Duels Won (%) | 58.3 | 55.4 | | Duels Won (%) | 61.7 | 58.9 | | Pass Completion (%) | 89.5 | 86.7 | As the table shows, Saliba and Badiashile are both accomplished young center-backs. However, Saliba's statistics are marginally better in most key areas, suggesting that he may be the more complete defender at this stage of his career.

Conclusion

Time will tell whether Chelsea have made a wise investment in Badiashile. However, Saliba's success at Arsenal suggests that the Gunners got the better deal when they signed him three and a half years ago.