French football legend Marcel Desailly has heaped praise on Arsenal defender William Saliba, labelling him the "best centre-back" in the world.
Desailly, a World Cup winner with France, believes Saliba is now among the elite defenders in the game, surpassing even the likes of Virgil van Dijk on some occasions.
Van Dijk "has his level" but has shown "a little bit of weakness" in one-on-one situations, according to Desailly, who also notes that the Liverpool defender's past injury has impacted his performance.
Desailly instead puts Saliba alongside the defensive elite, praising his consistency and ability to win one-on-one battles.
The Frenchman has been contracted to Arsenal until 2030 but Desailly still believes he is destined to play for Real Madrid at some point in his career.
Desailly says the door is open for Saliba to move to the Bernabeu, citing the fact that all the best players want to play for Real Madrid at some point in their careers.
However, Desailly also notes that Saliba is currently focused on France's World Cup campaign, where they will face Paraguay in a bid to secure a quarter-final spot.
