On-loan Arsenal defender William Saliba has taken to social media, to send a congratulatory message to Gunners teammate Emile Smith Rowe.

ESR staying put

The headlines news on the red half of North London on Thursday of course surrounded one of the club’s standout young talents.

The player in question? Emile Smith Rowe.

Youngster Smith Rowe enjoyed a breakout campaign in the English capital in 2020/21, after finally being handed the chance to impress on a consistent basis late last year.

The Englishman was widely tipped as the long-term answer to Arsenal’s creative woes, with Smith Rowe’s never-say-die attitude having already seen him take on cult hero status amongst the club’s fanbase, too.

In turn, it went down a treat when word was forthcoming a little over 24 hours ago that Arsenal’s midfield conductor had put pen to paper on a new long-term contract with the club.

Not only that, but the faith of both Mikel Arteta and the Gunners board in Smith Rowe’s abilities was laid bare by the fact that he has been honoured with a new jersey number – the iconic 10.

‘So happy’

Messages of support and congratulations for Smith Rowe have inevitably since poured in, as Arsenal’s fans, players and staff alike express their delight with the 20-year-old committing to his boyhood club.

And, as outlined above, one of ESR’s teammates who was particularly keen to make his feelings known was William Saliba.

Highly-regarded stopper Saliba is of course in the midst of his 3rd consecutive loan spell away from the Emirates, after linking up with Ligue 1 outfit Marseille earlier this month.

The Frenchman, though, evidently remains a huge supporter of his Arsenal teammate, with Saliba having taken to the comments section of Smith Rowe’s latest Instagram post to send the following message:

‘So happy for you my bro’