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Saliba has been superb for Arsenal since the start of last season when he started playing regularly in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.
The 22-year-old has been integral in the Gunners’ revival under Arteta, but Gallas is not entirely convinced that he is right at the top level just yet.
The 46-year-old is a fan of Saliba, but feels he needs to become a regular in the France national team before he can be rated as truly world class.
‘Let’s calm down about William Saliba!’ Gallas told Lord Ping. ‘That’s a problem with the modern media, and discussion like this isn’t good for the players. Some of them can’t deal with that pressure.
‘I like Saliba, and I think he’s a really good player, but as far as I’m concerned, the best defenders in the world have to play in their national teams and be a constant in their starting XI.
‘Saliba isn’t a starter for France yet, but when he’s in the line-up and he’s performing as well as he does at club level, then we can discuss him being the world’s best defender. At the moment, he could be one of the best defenders in Europe. There’s a difference!’
The Arsenal centre-back has won 10 caps for his country, but Gallas says he has work to do to be considered on the same level as four other defenders in the Premier League.
‘Thiago Silva comes to mind when thinking about truly world-class defenders,’ he said. ‘He was great in the past, and he’s great now, even at his age.
‘I also like Josko Gvardiol, and he’s a great example of a player who adapted to a new system straight away. Look at how he plays now compared to how he played at RB Leipzig – the way he’s adapted is unbelievable and he’s a world-class defender.
‘There’s also Raphael Varane. He may not be at his best at the moment, but what he’s achieved speaks for itself.
‘Virgil Van Dijk is great, too, even if he’s not quite been the same since his injury. He was top-class back then, but he’s making some mistakes now. He’s not perfect, but he’s still very good. I’d say those are the world-class defenders I can think of.’
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