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The Dutch defender answered questions about Arsenal's towering centre-back
Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk offered high praise for Arsenal defender William Saliba, who has earned comparisons to the Dutch defender himself.
Known for his commanding presence and defensive prowess at Liverpool, Van Dijk has often been the benchmark for elite centre-backs, yet he acknowledged Saliba’s rapid progress at Arsenal has threatened his place in the pantheon of English football.
Van Dijk praises Saliba’s growth and talent
Since breaking into Arsenal's first team, Saliba has consistently impressed under manager Mikel Arteta, earning him comparisons to some of the best centre-backs in Premier League history.
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Saliba’s solid partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes has been the bedrock of Arsenal’s last two title challenges, and the Dutch defender has noticed the Frenchman’s quality.
Discussing Saliba’s rise, Van Dijk was refreshingly candid, expressing admiration for his younger counterpart:
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Speaking on comparisons between himself and Saliba, van Dijk told Rio Ferdinand on the Rio Ferdinand Presents show, “Obviously Saliba’s making very good steps at the moment. I think if I’m honest, when I was that age, I was nowhere near where he is today.”
Lampard not certain of Saliba and Gabriel partnership
Despite van DIjk’s open admiration for Saliba, other Premier League legends remain unconvinced of Saliba and his partnership with Gabriel for Arsenal.
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Chelsea icon Frank Lampard also recently shared his opinion on the Arsenal duo but was far less praise for the centre-back pairing.
Speaking about Saliba and Gabriel being compared to other Premier League icons, Lampard said, "I mean, if they go and win two or three Premier Leagues and a Champions League, then maybe you can compare them.
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"I'm not putting them down. They are fantastic. They're young. They're growing all the time. It's not fair to make that comparison because this is all ahead of them now, but at this point, no.”
Saliba has already won two Community Shield titles with Arsenal, but the Frenchman will need to add more trophies to his collection to be mentioned alongside greats like van Dijk and Ferdinand.
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