Seeing as you are Mr Arsenal Jay, here are articles from the official Arsenal website that discuss William Saliba's ability:
https://www.arsenal.com/news/analysis-depth-look-salibahttps://www.arsenal.com/news/team-news-saliba-chambers-leno-and-moreWilliam Saliba
Integrating well since joining in the close season.
Fully fit and available for selection.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/i-want-protect-saliba-and-his-future-us07 Jan 2021 - quotes from Arteta
“He is going to a really strong league as well, a league he knows really well, he has experience [there] and he needs to play as many games as possible to be ready for us from next season.
“He will come back for pre-season and he will be with us, and hopefully he will come back after playing a number of games and [with] his performances raising and his development progressing in the right way. That is why we made that decision.
“I know that sometimes it is difficult to explain or understand after the money the club spent bringing him in, sending him on loan, but a lot of things have happened to him, he is a long-term player for us and we need to protect him as well. Giving him three or four games is not enough for him, he needs much more than that but what has happened over the past 18 months, he has gone through some personal problems as well that we have to try to help him, and stay as close as possible to him, and now he needs to play, play and play and enjoy his profession as well.
“In order for him to do that I think we have found the right club with him, he is very happy to go there right now and hopefully he can enjoy his football and be ready for us next season.”
So, the French league is STRONG says Arteta, thats why Saliba went there, contradicts your opinion Jay. He will come back after playing a number of games with his performances raised and his development progressing the right way. He won Nice player of the month weeks after joining and was shortlisted for the fans Ligue 1 team of the season ! So why did Arteta blank him again in the summer ?! Arteta himself said hypothetically 4 games is not enough, I say hypothetically because he only played 2, you need more games to get prepared for a new club, a new league. Fine. The player said:
When they came back I played in two friendlies, but I wasn’t ready, I hadn’t played for six months. I had no preparation and to pick up rhythm, you need to play matches.
“The coach told me I wasn’t ready, I thought: ‘That’s normal, these were just two matches and I hadn’t played for six months.’
“After that I waited for my chance, I waited for him to play me more to get a rhythm. But that’s football, it’s like that, it’s behind me and I took the experience.”
Now, when a player is unfit for whatever reason, he needs games. If Saliba had been recovering from long term injury he would've played a number of U23 games then got called up to the first team and made a few sub appearances, increasing in time on the pitch each game. Arteta said he needed games, why send him to France which isn't going to give him the experience he should be getting anyway ?! Surely send him to another Prem club. That decision makes no sense whatsoever. Give him plenty of U23 games so he gets accustomed to English football then when his fitness is right he can be integrated back into the first team. They are the "low/no risk" games he should've been having, not going back to France showing us nothing new whatsoever !!
Emery on the purchase:
Many teams wanted him but he decided he wanted to come to us and be part of our future
Taken from the Daily Star:
The player apparently favours a move to Arsenal over signing for Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, City are the only interested club in England able to spend £25m now on a player who won’t join their first-team squad until the 2020/21 season.
Taken from the MEtro:
Arsenal are reportedly preparing to do battle with Manchester United for Saint-Etienne star William Saliba in the summer transfer window.
He was a highly rated young player, thats the reason why he was bought for £27m. Any notion that he wasn't good enough to displace any number of CBs we had at the time is pure nonsense. Arteta chose not to give him games.