Arsenal could block France's request for William Saliba

Arsenal could be forced to prohibit William Saliba from representing France in the 2024 Paris Olympics as his involvement may mean the defender misses the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

France Under-21 boss and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is due to manage the national team at the tournament, and has requested the help of Gunners star Saliba.

He is tasked with selecting a 18-man squad, with four reserves. Rules state only three players can be over the age of 23.

Saliba would qualify as an Under-23 player, with World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud tip to be the over-age players in Henry's squad.

However, Arsenal may be obliged to stand in his way, and according to FIFA rules they would have the power to do so. The tournament is not recognised by FIFA, so his club hold the power to refuse his release.

Saliba was previously selected for the 2021 Games in Tokyo, but he withdrew from the squad as he did not wish to miss Arsenal's pre-season in a bid to impress Mikel Arteta. Since then, the towering defender has become an integral part of Arteta's starting lineup and is now widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in world football.

The Olympic football tournament runs from July 24 to August 9, with the final scheduled just one week prior to the potential 2024/25 Premier League opener on August 16.

Involvement in the tournament - a tournament in which France will be one of the favourites to win - would likely see Saliba miss at least one gamae at the start of next season.

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