“Everything he touches turns gold, he’s a huge threat for the opponent and Arteta can not afford to lose him at any point in time, he remind me of the 2004 Arsenal set”- Arsenal icon Thierry Henry says nobody in the Premier League is better than £27M Arsenal monster player- Not Saka, Not Rice and not White

‘The best’… Thierry Henry blown away by £27m Arsenal player vs Luton Town last night

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has claimed that William Saliba is the best defender in the Premier League right now.

The legendary Frenchman came up against some of the greatest centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen during his time as a Gunner. He knows a good defender when he sees one, and he seems to be a huge fan of Arsenal star Saliba.

Thierry Henry says Arsenal’s William Saliba is the best defender in the Premier League

Arsenal signed William Saliba from Saint-Etienne back in 2019 for £27 million (Goal).

The Frenchman didn’t immediately get a chance at Arsenal. He was loaned out on three separate occasions – first back to Saint-Etienne, then to Nice and finally to Marseille.

There was a point when some people felt Mikel Arteta didn’t fancy him, but the Arsenal boss has used him consistently since he returned last year, and Saliba has been magnificent.

Thierry Henry, who was on punditry duty on Amazon Prime last night, raved about Saliba and went as far as calling him the best defender in the Premier League right now.

He said, as quoted by The Mirror: “Right now I think he [Saliba] is [the best], by a mile. The way he can defend a 1v1, the way he allows Arsenal to stay higher [up the pitch] and defend the 45-50 yards behind him is second to none.

“His speed, the way he recovers, and when he recovers the ball he doesn’t just kick it into the stands – he tries to get it back [to his teammates] which is important. 

“I was working in France when he was on loan to Marseille [in 2021/22] and I was surprised that Arsenal didn’t keep him because I thought he was better than what we had. 

“But he went on loan and he came back and he showed everybody that that was a mistake and now he is now the best defender in the league.”

Arsenal’s William Saliba is a generational talent

Arsenal star William Saliba is still just 22 years old, and he is already one of the best defenders in the world.

The Frenchman has everything in his game that you would want from your centre-back. He’s quick, strong, good on the ball, reads the game well and is as composed as an experienced 35-year-old.

He us just on another level compared to most other centre-backs in the country, and Thierry Henry’s praise now should give him a huge confidence boost.

If Arsenal can keep Saliba fit for the whole of this campaign, they will back their chances of winning the Premier League title.