Bolton centre-back Chris Forino has insisted that Arsenal star William Saliba is everything a modern defender needs to be and is at the game’s pinnacle.
Saliba has emerged as one of the top centre-backs in the world and was at the heart of the Arsenal team that had the meanest defence in the Premier League last season.
His partnership with Gabriel has turned Arsenal into Premier League title challengers and the Frenchman himself believes he is on the right track in his career.
Saliba believes he needs to win trophies to be considered the best in the world but he has admirers across the game who believe he is one of the best in the business when it comes to centre-backs.
Forino, who is set to be on the Bolton team tonight to face Arsenal at the Emirates, is a big fan of Saliba and what he has done at the Emirates Stadium.
William Saliba is the pinnacle of defenders
The Bolton centre-back conceded that there is a massive difference between playing in League One and the Premier League. Still, he is taking notes from Saliba’s performances for the Gunners.
He pointed out that the Frenchman is younger than him but stressed that Saliba is one of the best in the world and is everything that a modern defender needs to be.
“The Premier League is a different style to League One but I don’t see why I can’t take notes from them”, Forino told The Bolton News.
“I remember Saliba’s breakthrough season a few years ago and thinking ‘he’s two or three years younger than me!’
“But he is the pinnacle of what defenders want to be these days.”
Saliba is unlikely to be in the Arsenal team tonight as Mikel Arteta is expected to heavily rotate the squad for the Carabao Cup game.