Arsenal have finalised a deal to sign highly rated Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba, the Premier League outfit has announced.
The Gunners have been locked in talks with Saint-Etienne for a number of weeks after earmarking the 18-year-old as a top transfer target.
Tottenham threatened to hi-jack Arsenal's move for Saliba in a stunning late move but the young defender has opted for the red half of north London.
Arsenal have reportedly shelled out in the region of €30m for the teenager and Saliba will return to Saint-Etienne on loan next season.
Unai Emery wanted to integrate Saliba into his first-team plans this season but Saint-Etienne were adamant throughout negotiations he would stay at the club one more year.
After agreeing to Saint-Etienne’s demands, Arsenal have managed to lower their initial payment to the French side, therefore freeing up more funds this summer.
Saliba made 16 league appearances for Saint-Etienne last season and garnered a promising WhoScored rating of 6.91.
Saint-Etienne impressively had a far better win ratio (69.2%) in the league in the matches Saliba started compared to when he didn’t feature from the off (40%).
