French club president confirms Arsenal will sign teenage defender

Saint-Etienne president Bernard Caiazzo has confirmed that Arsenal are on course to secure the signing of defender William Saliba from the French outfit.

The 18-year-old has attracted interest from both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur this summer but the former have won the race to land his signature for an initial £27m fee.

Speaking to Le Progres, Caiazzo confirmed that everything is on track with respect to the defender's transfer to the Gunners, but the club would thereafter retain the player's services on a season-long loan.

"Everything is on track with Arsenal. William will spend next season with us." he said.

The Gunners are currently in the desperate need for a new central defender to strengthen the squad for next season and reports indicate that they could pursue another recruit to fulfil the role.

Olympiacos' Pape Abou Cisse has recently emerged as an option for the club and it is claimed that a fee in the region of £10m could be sufficient to convince the Greek side into sanctioning the sale of the 23-year-old.