Real Madrid will make their move for the Arsenal centre-back William Saliba this summer

Arsenal confident of securing new deal for defender William Saliba

The 2024 FIFA The Best World XI featured Saliba, who has recently established himself as one of the world’s best defenders. He has long been linked to a move to Madrid, and RMC Sport reports that Los Blancos are intensifying their chase of him. According to the source, Saliba possesses all the attributes Madrid is seeking, and it is no secret that they need reinforcements at the back. To retain him, though, the Gunners will battle hard.

By summer, Saliba will have only two years left on his Emirates contract, with no automatic extension clause. Only last season did the Frenchman sign the new deal, which is valued at almost £10 million annually. RMC asserts that Arsenal views Saliba as the best defender in world football, and the amount they would demand would make him the most costly defender in history. As a mainstay of Arsenal’s defense since 2022, Saliba participated in every minute of the 2023–24 season in the league’s tightest defense.

Arsenal make huge demand as Real Madrid plot William Saliba transfer

RMC Sport claims that Real Madrid, who have long been linked to a bid for Saliba, have made the Frenchman their “absolute priority” and are not just aiming for a summer signing. Arsenal icon Martin Keown has called Saliba a “phenomenal” and “aggressive” player, and the Gunners do not want to let him go. Saliba has made a name for himself as one of the world’s top center backs. Arsenal will demand a hefty transfer fee, and Madrid knows that in order to close a deal, they will have to make Saliba the most expensive defender in history by placing a world-record bid.

For years, Madrid hasn’t made a significant investment in a defense. Their last significant defensive investment was the £47 million they paid for Lyon’s left-back Ferland Mendy in 2019. They have been successful in the free market in acquiring players like David Alaba from Bayern Munich and Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea, and Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer may be no different.