William Saliba names the Arsenal teammate who is ‘like a brother’ to him
William Saliba names the Arsenal teammate who is ‘like a brother’ to him
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William Saliba says his central defensive partner at Arsenal, Gabriel, has become like a brother to him during their time together in north London. Saliba first signed for the Gunners in 2019 but after loan spells at Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille he broke into the first team in 2022.
![[Tottenham Hotspur FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2172149615.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Gabriel had already established himself in the middle of the Arsenal defence at that stage, having joined from Lille in 2020 and the pair quickly established an impressive partnership. The Frenchman and the Brazilian are now as strong a centre-back pair as any in the top flight and Saliba says their relationship extends off the field.
![[Arsenal FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2194349439.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘He’s like a brother to me we’re very close,’ said Saliba. ‘As I always say to him, it’s as if he were French too, he has the same facial expressions as a French person because he was at Lille for a long time. ‘He’s a great guy and an incredible defender.’.
![[Arsenal FC v FC Shakhtar Donetsk - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2180434241.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The partnership has caught the eye of former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher, who said earlier this season that they could go on to be rated with some of the best ever in the Premier League. ‘Provided they stay together, we will eventually reference Saliba and Gabriel in the same breath as the two stand-out partnerships of my generation; Chelsea ’s John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, and Manchester United ’s Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic,’ Carragher wrote in The Telegraph.
‘Arsenal must win the Premier League or Champions League for the duo to establish themselves in that hall of fame, but they are making giant strides and are the biggest reason why Mikel Arteta ’s side can travel to Manchester City with confidence this weekend.’.
