Arsenal ‘could block Thierry Henry’s request to call-up William Saliba for France’s Olympics squad – as it would cause him to miss the start of next season’

Arsenal could refuse club legend Thierry Henry’s request to select William Saliba for the France Olympic squad this summer, according to reports.

The Under 21 boss is set to manage Les Blues at the tournament in Paris and will select an 18-man squad comprised of three players over the age of 23. 

World Cup winning trio Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have been tipped to fill those spots, while Saliba could qualify an an Under 23 player. 

French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has urged Henry to not hold back in his selections, recently stating: ‘Our aim is to build the best team possible.’

As a result, Henry is reportedly keen to draft in the young Gunners star but his approach could be denied by his former team, who do not want the 22-year-old to miss the start of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Under 21 boss Thierry Henry is set to manage the France Olympic football team at the Games

According to The Mirror, the north London club have the power to refuse Saliba’s release for the tournament as it is not recognised by FIFA. 

Saliba was previously picked for the 2021 Games in Tokyo but later withdrew from the squad as he did not wish to miss part of Arsenal’s pre-season in an effort to win over Mikel Arteta following a loan spell with Nice. 

The situation this summer is further complicated by Saliba’s likely inclusion in Didier Deschamps’s squad for the European Championships in Germany. 

William Saliba has been in impressive form this term, forming part of the league’s best defence

The competition runs from June 14 until July 14 and those that feature will require an additional period of rest before reporting for pre-season with their clubs. 

Meanwhile, the Olympic Football Tournament runs from July 24 to August 9 with the final scheduled one week before the potential start of the next Premier League campaign on August 16.