Ligue 1 expert Adam White insists that Leicester City star Wesley Fofana is a far better defender than William Saliba, who has again been loaned out by Arsenal.
The two defenders have somewhat come through the ranks together.
Both players emerged from the youth academy at Saint-Etienne, before earning big moves to the Premier League.
Would you like to see Saliba given a chance to prove he is ready at Arsenal?
Yes
No
£36m-rated Fofana moved to Leicester, while 20-year-old Saliba moved to Arsenal, but they have endured contrasting fortunes since.
The former is currently injured and is set to be out until 2022, but he has made 38 first-team appearances for Leicester.
Saliba, by comparison, has gone on loan to both OGC Nice and Marseille; he is yet to make his first-team debut for the Gunners.
And White, who covers Ligue 1 football for The Guardian, insists that it is no surprise Fofana has already made his breakthrough for the Foxes, as he has always been seen as a more accomplished player.
He said: “William Saliba, who got a lot of big interest and coverage, perhaps because he signed for Arsenal and was loaned back, there was a lot more interest for that reason and Fofana came through just a bit after he did and was perhaps, in theory, in terms of the French public, playing second fiddle to Saliba but for me, he’s always been the better player.”