Newcastle manager Steve Bruce clearly wants to sign a centre-back this summer, and the club have been linked with a loan move for William Saliba.
According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are interested in signing the Frenchman on a temporary deal.
That deal could certainly be possible, with Arsenal’s reportedly imminent signing of Ben White pushing Saliba further down the pecking order.
Newcastle reportedly face competition for the 20-year-old, with Southampton being linked, as well as various other European clubs.
It was claimed earlier in the year that Bruce wants to bring a new centre-back to St James’ Park.
At one point it looked like Kristoffer Ajer would be signing, but that deal is reportedly now unlikely. Other names have been linked, such as Tosin Adarabioyo and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Saliba is probably the most exciting target, but he is also one we should avoid.
No long-term benefit of Newcastle signing William Saliba on loan
Newcastle did some brilliant business with Arsenal at the start of the year. Signing Joe Willock on loan turned out to be a masterstroke.
The midfielder scored eight goals in 14 games, and Newcastle are reportedly confident that he will be back at St James’ Park next season.
While Saliba may have a similar impact (without the goals) if he moved to the north east temporarily, the conclusion will surely be very different.
Arsenal signed Saliba in 2019 from St Etienne for £27million. That’s a lot of money.
For reference, Newcastle have only ever spent more than that on a player once in their history. That was club record signing Joelinton who cost £40million.
With Arsenal spending that much money, you would like to think they have big plans for the defender.
While he is yet to make his Gunners debut, he clearly has a lot of potential. And considering he’s only 20, time is still on his side.
Why you can’t compare Saliba to Willock
Arsenal have invested a lot of money in him, and will no doubt be desperate to see a return on their investment.
A loan move to Newcastle might benefit us in the short-term, but it will only serve to benefit Arsenal in the long-term.
While they may be willing to sell Willock, it’s unlikely they’ll have the same attitude towards Saliba.
They have nothing invested in Willock. He’s an academy graduate who joined the club when he was just four. Any money they make on him is profit.
But Saliba was a big money signing. If Arsenal were to sell Saliba for anything less than £27million, without even giving him a chance, it would be considered disastrous business.
And even if Arsenal just want their money back, is that a fee you can see Newcastle paying in 12 months time?
Saliba has the potential to be a wonderful defender. But it is not Newcastle’s responsibility to develop Arsenal’s youngsters.
If Steve Bruce wants to sign a centre-back this summer, it should be someone who can help the club for years to come, not just for a year.
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