Arsenal has suffered a significant setback concerning the future of their star defender, William Saliba, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
On Wednesday evening, Arsenal was knocked out of the Carabao Cup after their second consecutive 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the semi-finals.
While the Gunners’ failure to score in 180 minutes led to their loss in the two-legged clash, much of the blame was directed at star center back Saliba. ..Continue Reading
Despite this, Arsenal supporters will be worried after a new report revealed that one of the world’s biggest clubs is keen to secure a deal for Saliba, who is an essential part of Mikel Arteta’s squad.
French journalist Fabrice Hawkins reported that although Real Madrid is unsure about the future of their attack, they are certain they want Saliba to anchor their defense.
According to Hawkins, Arsenal will be extremely reluctant to let the 23-year-old leave the Emirates, viewing him as the best central defender in the world, and will likely demand a substantial fee.
Reportedly, the London club would only consider a transfer if it breaks the record for the most expensive defender, currently held by Harry Maguire’s £80 million (€97 million) move from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019.
After spending three years on loan with French clubs, Saliba returned to Arsenal in 2022 and has since become a cornerstone of their defense, starting almost every game he is fit to play.
“For the first week I didn’t speak to him,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in 2023 when asked about Saliba’s return the Emirates.
“I just wanted to see – naturally, without me really interfering in his thoughts – how he was. Because then you can understand the real him
“He had an immediate impact. The first two training sessions that we looked at home we went: ‘There’s huge potential here’.
“He took out every question mark that we could have with him and gave us all the reasons to play him. And I think he’s been exceptional since that day.”
The young defender has since played 116 matches for Arsenal across all competitions.
