David Raya spotted sending classy message to Arsenal starlet in unseen footage

Arsenal have handed opportunities to several young players in pre-season with some of their more established stars being given extra time off following the World Cup

Marli Salmon may well be regarded as one for the future rather than the here and now, but the young Arsenal defender has emerged from the Premier League champions' pre-season campaign with plenty of credit.

With Arsenal missing William Saliba through injury and other established stars returning to action later than their team-mates due to the World Cup, youngsters like Salmon have been given the chance to impress in a more senior environment - and the 16-year-old's efforts were acknowledged by David Raya after another stellar showing in the friendly against Como on Wednesday.

The centre-back partnered Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal's defence in Saliba's absence and stood out against the Serie A outfit despite his tender years.

Salmon's display not only earned him a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 88th minute, but also special praise from his goalkeeper.

Get YOUR Mirror Football Newsletter

Get our comprehensive football coverage, with news, updates, opinions, analysis and everything that matters to you, straight to your inbox.

To get it, it's a quick and easy one-two:

2. Enter your email and hit Subscribe

Eagle-eyed fans spotted Raya embracing Salmon after the game before pointing upwards, with some fans theorising that the Spaniard was telling the teenager that he is destined to the reach the top of the game.

Salmon was the only Arsenal player to feature for longer than an hour against Como, which was the team's final friendly ahead of Sunday's season opener against Manchester City for the Community Shield.

The Gunners have been linked with a move for a new central defender amid concerns that Saliba faces months on the sidelines with a back injury. Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa is a target, while it emerged on Friday that Arsenal have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a potential deal for the former Liverpool star, Jarell Quansah.

Content cannot be displayed without consent

For now, though, Mikel Arteta insists that Salmon is a part of his first-team plans despite the Hale End star's age. “He’s in and around the first team,” he said after the Como game. “We know that obviously the circumstances are what they are, that’s the context that is allowing him to play more minutes.

“If we would have other players it would be more difficult. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t get the chance to do so.

“But what he’s proved in the last few weeks is that he’s reliable and when we want to play him, he can do a job.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.