Real Madrid have been persistently linked with a transfer for William Saliba as Arsenal attempt to extend the contract of Mikel Arteta’s defender, who has two years left on his deal
Arsenal are set to offer William Saliba a new contract amid interest from Real Madrid in the player. The Gunners do not want to lose Saliba, who is seen as a key part of their future plans.
The French defender last signed a deal in 2023, alongside the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old is now firmly on the agenda of new sporting director Andrea Berta as he attempts to tie down the clubs top assets, with talks with Saka also expected.
The Athletic report that talks are already underway between Berta and Saliba’s camp. But despite being happy at Arsenal it said the centre-half will seek a deal that reflrects being one of the leading players in his position in world football.
Saliba has previously calmed fears that he could leave the Emirates this summer by suggesting he won’t move u ntil the Gunners win a major trophy. “There is some years [left], so there is no rush at the minute. I’m happy here, that’s it,” he said in March.
There has been little opportunity to relax however, with Real Madrid persistently linked. Saliba is said to be a top priority for Los Blancos.
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And with two years remaining on his contract, Saliba could have arrived at a moment that Real Madrid attempt to take advantage of. If legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is to be believed it is a time that the Madridistas will look to pounce, as they did for Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the latter expected to join the club following his Liverpool exit.
“There is no transfer anymore for the big, big players,” he siad. “They go all at the end of their contract because the wages are so high that [if] you want to buy Marcel today you have to give him so much money that you cannot pay the transfer anymore.
“So what do the big clubs do? They say two years before the end of a contract we want to buy you, we give you these wages and we will try to make an offer to the club.
“If it doesn’t work, we come back next year and if it doesn’t work then, we will take you for free. That is what they [ Real Madrid ] did with [Kylian] Mbappe as well.”
Mikel Arteta is so far unperturbed by a potential exit however. Asked about interest from Real Madrid in Saliba, the Spaniard sounded confident.
He said: “I leave those kind of things more for [Arsenal sporting director] Andrea [Berta] and the club to talk about.
“What I’m certain, because I had a conversation with him, that he’s so happy here, that he wants to continue with us, and what will happen in the future. Obviously it’s our negotiations and things that have to take time and process and [we have to] be on top of them.”
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