William Saliba sends message to Arsenal fans after touching moment

Arsenal star William Saliba sent a message to Gunners fans after he received an ovation from the Emirates Stadium faithful.

Saliba was not involved in the club's final Premier League game of the season against Wolves, watching on as Mikel Arteta's side prevailed 5-0.

It was the ideal performance to end what has been a season of progression on the pitch for Arsenal.

Saliba has been a key part of their ascent to becoming Premier League title challengers, but has missed the last two months with a back injury amid concerns over his long-term fitness.

Speaking ahead of the Wolves clash, Arteta could not confirm whether Saliba would be ready to return for pre-season, stating: "It's probably too early to say. I think he's evolving the right way, the last few weeks have been much more positive than the previous two months.

"We wanted to protect him. It's an injury that needs some caring and attention and we've been pretty conservative to give him the best possible chance to have a good pre-season so he can go again next season."

Now, Saliba has sent a brief message to Gunners supporters.

Saliba sends message to Arsenal supporters

After Arsenal defeated Wolves, the first team squad came out to perform a lap of appreciation for the Arsenal fans.

Saliba was involved, and Gunners fans chanted his name as he walked the perimeter of the pitch. He was also applauded by team-mates, including Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Martinelli.

The 22-year-old's main priority now will be to return to full fitness in time for a busy pre-season schedule, with Arsenal looking to then begin another challenge for the Premier League title.

But in the meantime, he took the time to send Arsenal fans a quick message on Instagram.

William Saliba on Instagram story, showing his appreciation for the love shown to him by the Arsenal fans yesterday: “Thank you ❤️” #afc https://t.co/JtvZppuBaH pic.twitter.com/4JmMa4QtIZ

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) May 29, 2023

Alongside a photo of the defender in front of the Gunners faithful, he simply wrote, "Thank you," alongside a loveheart emoji.

As well as getting back to full fitness, Saliba could hand Arsenal the perfect off-season present by committing to a new contract this summer.

His current deal expires in 2024, with the club having triggered an additional one-year option to ensure they didn't lose him on a free transfer this summer.