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'Immense': BBC pundit says 'no one' at Arsenal can even think of replacing £27m player

Garth Crooks has said that not a single defender at Arsenal can replace William Saliba.

The outspoken pundit made this claim on BBC Sport, while picking the £27 million (Football.London) man in his Premier League Team of the Season.

Whilst highlighting how brilliant William Saliba has been for Arsenal this season, Garth Crooks also pinpointed how irreplaceable he is.

Garth Crooks says William Saliba is irreplaceable at Arsenal

There is no questioning the French international’s impact on Mikel Arteta’s side, as he has looked like his side’s best centre-back from day one this campaign.

While it would be going overboard to suggest that his injury led to his side’s capitulation in the title race, Saliba’s absence certainly played a part in it.

Despite William Saliba being unavailable to play for Arsenal during the business end of the campaign, Garth Crooks hailed his incredible impact.

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“The loss through injury of William Saliba in the latter part of the season almost certainly cost Arsenal the title. The games against Southampton at home and West Ham away were ones the Gunners would have won under normal circumstances, but these were fixtures fuelled with pressure and expectation and Arsenal’s defence buckled under the weight of them.”

Garth Crooks went out to explain why William Saliba remains so instrumental to this Arsenal side, saying, “When Saliba came into the Arsenal side in the early part of their campaign he looked immense, and the bigger the game the more composed he appeared. The impact of the Frenchman’s injury to Arsenal’s title chances was there for all to see and they simply had no-one in their ranks good enough to replace him.”

The Gunners have a gem on their hands in William Saliba

The fact that Garth Crooks’ assessment of William Saliba and how crucial he is to Arsenal is not at all a stretch tells you how much potential he has.

Saliba simply has everything to his game and if he continues to prove, many would tip him to become the best centre-half in the world one day.

All Arsenal must do is continue to recruit well and have full faith in their process as a player of his ceiling will prove key in them winning major trophies in a few years’ time.

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