Representatives of the French defender have engaged in discussions with the La Liga club, who are keen to sign him in the next summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the Gunners are determined to retain Saliba beyond this season.
Saliba couldn’t help but laugh when an Arsenal fan pleaded with him to stay in the Premier League and reject a lucrative move to Real Madrid.
Currently regarded as one of the best defenders globally, Saliba is having another outstanding season at the Emirates, even though Arsenal may miss out on silverware.
The French international has formed a strong centre-back partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes, contributing to Arsenal’s impressive defensive record, the second-best in both the Premier League and Champions League.
It’s no surprise that his performances have attracted interest from rival clubs, with reports suggesting that Real Madrid consider signing Saliba a top priority this summer.
Arsenal are not worried about losing their star player, but if they were to sell him, they would demand a fee exceeding the transfer record for a defender, currently held by Manchester United’s Harry Maguire (£80 million).
Saliba himself seemed to dismiss the idea of a transfer to Los Blancos when fans brought up the subject.
Arsenal are currently training in Dubai to reset and revive their faltering campaign. On Monday, social media footage surfaced of players signing autographs for fans.
One excited fan handed Saliba an Arsenal shirt to sign and told the 23-year-old: ‘Saliba, Champions League please!’ to which the defender seemingly responded: ‘Inshallah (If Allah wills it)’.
‘As the shirt was signed, the fan then said: ‘Please Saliba, never go Madrid!’ while another supporter could be heard saying: ‘No Madrid, yes? Stay Arsenal!’
Saliba could only laugh a bit nervously, not indicating either way, but it seems quite unlikely that he’ll leave the Emirates anytime soon.
Arsenal has been eliminated from both domestic cups and could fall nine points behind Liverpool in the Premier League title race if the Reds win the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night.
The Champions League remains within reach, and the Gunners are one of the favorites, having finished third in the league phase. They will face the winner of either Feyenoord vs. AC Milan or Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16.
Saliba, who joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne for £27m in 2019, has a contract until 2027. However, Arsenal legend Ian Wright has cautioned the club that they need to show ambition in the transfer market to keep their best players satisfied.
‘We have to start thinking about about Gabriel, Saliba and [Bukayo] Saka. After this season, they’ve got two years left,’ the former striker said.
‘How long before their management teams say, “we need to see the ambition of this club”? Do any of those players want to end up not winning anything because the way it’s going at the moment…’
‘They need to do some unbelievable business in the summer. They need to bring players in that makes them say, “f**k, these guys are serious”.’
