Arsenal defender William Saliba admits he's closely studied Virgil van Dijk's game.

For many, Saliba is surpassing the Liverpool defender as the best in the Premier League.

He said, “When you are a kid it's always a dream to play in England because it's the best league in the world and every game is so intense.

“My first experience at Arsenal was not so good because I had to play a lot of games away on loan but I learned from that time away and came back to the Emirates stronger.

“And now I know that the manager trusts me, it makes it easier for me to play well.

“I feel a lot of confidence from him. He is always teaching and giving us things to develop and if I'm a good player now then it's because of him and the staff.

“I know I still have a lot of work to do to improve my game, but I have the right environment at Arsenal to develop and I will give everything to one day become the best centre-back in the world.

“I have watched many great defenders over the years. Not so long ago, I used to watch a lot of videos of van Dijk and now I play in the same league as him.

“I am still so impressed by him, but I try to watch and learn from everyone and then one day I can become the model for others.

“We are all competitors. I play for one of the best teams in the world, so of course my dream is to become the best defender in the world."