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Arsenal sign Saliba from Saint-Etienne for reported £27M

FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP / Getty

Arsenal completed their second signing of the day after confirming a deal to acquire teenage center-back William Saliba from Saint-Etienne on Thursday.

The transfer was completed after Saliba put pen to paper on a five-year contract. Arsenal have agreed to loan the 18-year-old back to the Ligue 1 club for the 2019-20 campaign.

"We’re delighted William is joining us," Arsenal manager Unai Emery said. "Many teams wanted him but he decided he wanted to come to us and be part of our future. He will stay in France next season for more experience and then we look forward to him joining our group."

Although financial details of the transfer were not disclosed, BBC Sport's David Ornstein reports that Saint-Etienne accepted a bid worth £27 million (€30 million).

The north London outfit won the race to sign the coveted defender despite Tottenham's attempt to hijack the transfer. Spurs reportedly swooped in with an offer exceeding Arsenal's €30-million bid but Saliba ultimately opted to join the Gunners instead.

Arsenal will reportedly pay the fee in installments, which, Ornstein adds, will not impact the club's £45-million budget for new signings this summer.

The France Under-19 international, considered one of football's most highly rated young defenders, made his professional debut at Saint-Etienne during a win over Toulouse in September 2018 and went on to accrue 16 Ligue 1 appearances last season.

Confirmation of Saliba's transfer comes just hours after Arsenal announced the arrival of Dani Ceballos, who joins the Gunners on a season-long loan from Real Madrid.

Arsenal have also been linked with a move for defender Kieran Tierney, 22, from Celtic, as well as a lucrative transfer for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

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