The little boy inside of him.

Went to check up on his progress and I see he's out for six weeks after having surgery

Better for him to recover under someone else’s wage bill

Now that the French league has been cancelled, Saliba would be allowed to play for us wouldn’t he, if the season resumes?

Yes, but I think the transfer window has to open first so we can register him in the squad.

I wonder if they’ll allow registrations? Instinctively you’d think no but if loan deals and contracts expire then you’d think they’d have to, no?

Klaus wrote:

Yes, but I think the transfer window has to open first so we can register him in the squad.

He’s already registered for this season. Arsenal wanted to have him included so he can count as home grown after 3 years.

Yeah remember reading that we had already registered him for that purpose.

goon wrote:

I wonder if they’ll allow registrations? Instinctively you’d think no but if loan deals and contracts expire then you’d think they’d have to, no?

I thought he would have to have been re-registered having been on loan. Had a look at the premier league rules (p211-212) but there doesn't seem to be any clear guidance. I think the most relevant section would be that the player is unable to play until the League confirm with the club an international transfer certificate has been issued - based on mutual cancellation of loan. If Ligue 1/St Etienne issue the certificate I can't see why he wouldn't be allowed to play. I don't know whether they would, or could, have reason to refuse this. Maybe to protect the integrity of the agreement or something? I don't know.  

It's a curious situation as the English and French seasons are aligned and the situation is unprecedented between both leagues. Best comparison would probably be what happens where a player is loaned from USA or a South American country. When the European season completes, do they go straight back to playing? 

I think it might a problem if it were a situation like Keita moving to Liverpool, the deal there was a forward transaction where both clubs agreed the player would be moving twelve months after the agreement was made. Saliba however was an Arsenal player already who moved immediately back for a limited time - there's no way the FA or LFP would let him become a free agent because that's what he'd be if he wasn't able to register with us.

Same situation as with Mkhitaryan basically.

It'd mean we lose Ceballos too. So it all evens out.

Yeah except Ceballos is ten times the player and we're yet to properly use him.

Yeah. Right.

To be fair he is our most influential CM. Progressive yet defensively aware

Think those stats show more than anything that Willock is a player to keep betting on.

And that Torreira is a mug.

Yep, but he's also a different type of player, focuses mostly on pressing high, so he'll never come out looking good in these comparisons.

I don't care much about those stats aside from the first two categories. Out of the three top raking players Willock has by far the best instincts in tight spaces and in front of goal too. Think it confirms that he's got the makings of a good box to box player which we lack much more than a decent passer currently.

Yeah, I'm praying Willock is developed properly under Arteta. Please no more of that number 10 bollocks for him - it's horrific.

The worry for Willock is that I think he's incredibly similar to Ramsey stylistically, meaning his best position is probably in centre mid as part of a midfield 3. I think he can play in a midfield 2 as well but not many managers seem to trust those sorts of players in there.

He needs to work on his decision making too, he's got a touch of Ross Barkley about him in that regard.