Kylian Mbappe and William Saliba will go from international teammates to club rivals when Arsenal play Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final.
Arsenal’s two-legged tie with Real Madrid in April is already being hotly anticipated in north London – another big test for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Of course, Arsenal will be without a striker for both matches – it’s well documented that Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will be out for the season.
Fortunately Mikel Merino impressed as a striker for Spain over the break, playing alongside the likes of Real centre-back Raul Asencio who he’ll soon be hoping to get the better of.
And in addition to Merino’s strong performances as a makeshift striker, Arsenal will also be delighted by Bukayo Saka’s return to fitness.
Kylian Mbappe’s advice for William Saliba during France vs Croatia
That being said, Saliba will be absolutely crucial for Arsenal over both legs if they are able to overcome Real Madrid.
And an interesting exchange actually took place between Mbappe and Saliba during the international break via Telefoot.
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At half-time of France’s knockout tie with Croatia, Mbappe was filmed giving some advice to Saliba in French in the dressing room.
Mbappe appeared to be giving Saliba some tips on how to play the ball out from the back – something he doesn’t necessarily need at club level at least.
Mbappe said to Saliba: “Even if it’s an inside pass, play it!”
Saliba’s response or reaction wasn’t captured on the recording, but it’s interesting to consider that the Arsenal defender was praised for his distribution after the game.
French media were impressed with Saliba’s passing after struggling in the first leg of the tie, so perhaps Mbappe’s advice was actually warranted.
William Saliba has a chance to deliver his Arsenal promise
Another subplot to Arsenal’s upcoming Champions League tie is the fact that Real Madrid have been linked with Saliba a lot over the last year or so.
Fortunately for the Gunners, Saliba wants to win trophies at Arsenal before even thinking about what might come next.
The likes of Robin van Persie left Arsenal without winning huge trophies, and Saliba perhaps doesn’t want to be remembered in the same way.
Therefore with Arsenal just four games away from a potential Champions League final, Saliba already has a great chance to make history in N5.
Of course, it will take a historic effort to beat the reigning champions without a natural number nine, but it would seem foolish to rule Arsenal out just yet.
