Arsenal fans were very excited by the arrival of William Saliba last summer.

The 19-year-old defender finally landed in England after spending the 2019/20 season on loan at Saint-Etienne and it was thought he'd be a first-team regular under Mikel Arteta.

Sadly, things didn't pan out that way for a player viewed as one of the brightest young talents to emerge from French football in recent years.

Saliba is yet to make a single appearance for Arsenal in either the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup or Carabao Cup.

Due to his exile from first-team duties in north London, the defender secured a six-month loan move back to France earlier this month.

He joined Nice and has already made four starts in Ligue 1 since returning to the country of his birth, playing the full 90 minutes in every single one of them.

Given that he's now flourishing once again, Saliba has every right to be upset with Arsenal and he has now opened up about his tough start to life at one of the biggest clubs in world football.

"I really, really, really didn’t think that I would be transferred for €30m, to think that I would arrive, where people were expecting a lot from me, the fans excited about me and you find yourself in the reserves, play zero, zero nothing in the Europa League or the league," Saliba told TF1, per GFFN.

"I was in the squad once in the league cup. It hurt me, it affected me. I don’t think I left too early. When you feel ready you have to go. I don’t think I left too early. These things happen. I believe in myself."

You can understand Saliba's frustration at Arteta's treatment of him and supporters of the English club will be concerned that the teenager will now be against returning to the Emirates this summer.

"I don’t know," the Frenchman added when asked if he would consider a permanent move to Nice. "I have learned now that it is better not to look to far in the future.

"So I am focused on just these 6 months to try to give absolutely everything and for the rest we will see."

If Arsenal have any sense, they will make it clear to Saliba that he will be afforded numerous opportunities next season to prove himself at the club.

Because if he leaves without as much as a solitary appearance in the Europa League or a cup competition, Arteta and the board will be subject to a lot of criticism.