William Saliba has hailed Virgil van Dijk as ‘the boss’, but insists that he’s quickly following suit as one of the Premier League’s top defenders.
The Arsenal star joined the club in 2019, but had to wait until 2022 to make his big break in north London following three loan spells away from the Emirates.
Since breaking into the first team, he has made 83 appearances for the Gunners, helping them to second place in the Premier League in two consecutive seasons.
At just 23 years of age, Saliba could be a dominant force in the Premier League, much like Van Dijk, who has excelled in his six-and-a half-years at Liverpool.
While facing off many times in the Premier League, Saliba and Van Dijk will be on opposing teams when the Netherlands face France in Euro 2024 Group D.
But ahead of their match-up, Saliba had nothing but praise for the Liverpool star.
“Van Dijk has aura,” he told L’Equipe.
“He’s the boss. He commands everything. You can feel he’s scaring strikers away. And I’m starting to feel the same way.
“I’m starting to see that the attackers are feeling fear.
“Sometimes, when the players are in your zone, they don’t have fun.
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“When there’s a one-on-one and the player is going to retreat, bring the ball out, run away from the duel, it’s nice.”
Asked how he compares to the Reds’ skipper, Saliba said: “I think I am in the top three [defenders in the league].
“We finished with the best defence. I watch a lot of matches. I am a very humble person but last season, just like this season, I am in the top three defenders.
“I need to continue to work to go even higher.
“In terms of concentration, I am a lot better. Before, I could play a top match but in one phase of play, I slept a bit. That is no longer the case. I am always on alert.”
France are among the favourites to go all the way at Euro 2024, with Saliba’s side knowing that victory over the Netherlands could be pivotal in their aspiration of advancing.