Saliba currently faces an injury, which has limited discussion of his ongoing brilliance, but his quality remains widely acknowledged. Tottenham Hotspur defender and captain Micky van de Ven recently commented on Saliba, sharing his thoughts on the Arsenal star’s standing in the game.
In an interview linked to a rankings exercise, Van de Ven was asked to categorize several players into groups such as GOAT, Legend, Great, and Good. He initially labeled John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Virgil van Dijk as “legends.” When Saliba’s name was mentioned, he momentarily stepped back before correcting himself. He first said “Legend!” but then revised to say: “Nah, not a legend. He’s not a legend because he’s still playing. So, ‘great’.” He then placed Gabriel Magalhaes in the same “great” category alongside Saliba.
While Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are likely to be remembered as Arsenal and Premier League legends in the future, they have not yet reached that status. Van de Ven’s quick change of stance reflects the high regard he holds for Saliba, even as a rival.
