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William Saliba will sport the number 2 shirt for Arsenal next season, according to the Premier League's official website. That means the Frenchman will occupy the shirt formerly worn by Hector Bellerin, who has been heavily linked with a move away despite returning to north London for pre-season training.
Gunners fans eagerly anticipate Saliba's transition into English football after he became a full French international during his latest loan spell with Marseille. There were major doubts over whether he would return to his parent club or leave for good, given that boss Mikel Arteta is yet to hand him a single first-team appearance.
But Marseille parting company with manager Jorge Sampaoli, partly because of the club's reluctance to pull out all the stops for Saliba, has made it even more likely that the defender will turn out in red and white next campaign.
Despite no formal shirt number announcement, the Premier League's official website has Saliba down as Arsenal's number 2 - the same number he wore in Ligue 1 last term.
William Saliba is expected to sport the number 2 shirt for Arsenal next season (Image: GETTY)
While that will come as good news for Saliba himself, it suggests that the number's former occupier, Bellerin, has no place in Arteta's plans. That is despite the Spaniard returning to pre-season training after a loan stint at boyhood club Real Betis.
Bellerin has been on Arsenal's books for well over a decade, but only spent three seasons as a nailed-on regular at the Emirates. The shirt number reshuffle strongly suggests that he will find a new club this summer, one way or another, with Betis his preferred destination and the likes of Atletico Madrid rumoured to be in talks.
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Some Gunners fans are calling for the 27-year-old to stick around as cover for Takehiro Tomiyasu, with Cedric Soares failing to wholly convince. A permanent switch to Betis would have been sewn up under normal circumstances, but a tricky financial situation has left them unable to make a decisive move as yet.
The longer Bellerin sticks around in Arsenal training, the more new faces he's likely to see roll in the door as Arteta and transfer chief Edu continue to build momentum in the transfer market. Marquinhos and Matt Turner have been brought in as rotation options, while comparatively big money has already been spent on Porto attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira.
Hector Bellerin has returned to Arsenal for pre-season training (Image: GETTY)
A move for Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus is also expected to be announced imminently, with the Brazilian caught on camera filming a promotional video in Arsenal's new strip. Jesus' shirt number has also leaked early, with the forward sporting the coveted number 9.
While Arteta and Edu are proving prolific, not everything has gone their way in recent weeks. At one point, they looked to be leading a three-horse race for Leeds United star Raphinha, but with Chelsea and Barcelona right in contention, they could see him slip through the net.
