William Saliba has reportedly decided to stay and fight for his place at Arsenal next season.
The 21-year-old is still waiting for his first senior appearance for the Gunners three years after being signed for a £27m fee from Saint-Etienne and has been shipped back out on loan to Ligue 1 three times since 2019.
Saliba has become an integral part of Marseille's setup under Jorge Sampaoli this term, making 47 appearances in all competitions as Les Parisiens challenge for the Europa Conference League crown and a return to the Champions League.
The defender's rapid rise at the Orange Velodrome has led to suggestions that Marseille could try to keep him on the books permanently, which he previously admitted would "not be a bad idea".
However, TEAMtalk now claims that Saliba intends to stay at Arsenal and compete for a first-team spot with the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding next term.
The report adds that Saliba's status as a home-grown player makes Arsenal reluctant to part ways with him, and he believes he is capable of becoming a regular starter for Mikel Arteta's side.
Saliba has only made eight appearances for Arsenal's Under-23 side so far but earned his first two caps for the France national team back in March.
Ben Knapton
