Arsenal have held more talks with Saint-Etienne over signing defender William Saliba, according to reports in the French media.

The Gunners are apparently in pole position to sign the 18-year-old ahead of Manchester United with a €30m (£27m) deal said to be increasingly likely in the coming weeks.

However, there is still one major stumbling block to overcome. Saint-Etienne are very keen to keep Saliba on loan for another season.

With Arsenal’s limited resources and the fact that they are in desperate need for defensive reinforcements, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll agree to the French club’s request.

Whether Saint-Etienne would be prepared to back down on this demand, it remains to be seen.

Saliba has only played 19 matches of senior football in his career, but he has already been touted as a star of the future. He generally plays as a centre-back but was employed as a right-back on occasion last campaign.