Arsenal ‘could block Thierry Henry’s request to call-up William Saliba for France’s Olympics squad – as it would cause him to miss the start of next season’
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Arsenal could refuse club legend Thierry Henry’s request to select William Saliba for France’s Olympic squad this summer, according to reports.
The Under 21 boss will manage Les Blues at the tournament in Paris and will select an 18-man squad made up of three players aged over 23.
World Cup-winning trio Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have been tipped to fill those spots, while Saliba could qualify as an under-23 player.
French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has urged Henry not to hold back in his selections. He recently stated, “Our goal is to build the best team possible.”
As a result, Henry is reportedly keen to bring in the young Gunners star, but his approach could be denied by his former team, who do not want the 22-year-old to miss the start of the 2024-2025 season.
William Saliba would qualify for one of the Under 23 spots for France at this summer’s tournament
Under 21-year-old boss Thierry Henry will coach the French Olympic football team during the Games
According to De Spiegelthe North London club has the power to refuse Saliba’s release for the tournament as he is not recognized by FIFA.
Saliba was previously picked for the 2021 Games in Tokyo but later withdrew from the squad as he did not want to be part of Arsenal’s preparations in a bid to win over Mikel Arteta following a loan spell at Nice.
The situation this summer is further complicated by Saliba’s likely inclusion in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the European Championships in Germany.
William Saliba has been in impressive form this season and is part of the league’s best defense
The competition runs from June 14 to July 14 and the competitions it features require an additional rest period before they can report to their clubs for pre-season.
Meanwhile, the Olympic football tournament runs from July 24 to August 9, with the final scheduled a week earlier before the possible start of the next Premier League campaign on August 16.
