Arsenal dealt blow in race to sign Saint-Etienne's William Saliba?

Arsenal have reportedly been dealt a blow in the race to secure the signature of Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba.

Manager Unai Emery has been left with the task of continuing to rebuild his first-team squad with a limited transfer budget, forcing the Spaniard to take his time when it comes to identifying targets.

Eighteen-year-old Saliba is allegedly a player who has remained on Emery's shortlist, however, having made 16 appearances in Ligue 1 during the most recent campaign.

Saint-Etienne are said to have accepted that the teenager will sign for another club this summer, although football.london claims that the French outfit will insist on keeping the centre-back on loan for another 12 months.

That would seemingly rule out Arsenal, due to the Gunners being able to commit a significant fee on a player who will not feature in their senior squad next season.