Real Madrid have reportedly come to a deal in principle with Arsenal for the transfer of standout centre-back William Saliba, following discussions between club president Florentino Perez and Arsenal officials on Wednesday.
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Despite watching his team crash out of the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal — and Saliba making a rare mistake — Perez remains eager to bring the French defender to the Bernabeu. ..Continue Reading
According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid have made Saliba their top transfer priority this summer.
he report, published ahead of the second-leg clash in Madrid, suggests Arsenal are open to completing a player-exchange deal involving Saliba — but only if Real Madrid are willing to send two players the other way.
The report stated: ‘Arsenal want to keep Saliba, but if the player refuses to renew and puts the club between a rock and a hard place, knowing of Real Madrid’s interest, the English club would be open to negotiating for the French centre-back, whom they value at 100 million euros.
‘That would, of course, only happen provided Real Madrid with Arda Güler and Endrick in the mix… something that’s not going to happen, as Florentino Perez doesn’t want to let go of either of them.
‘Real Madrid continues to target William Saliba. The problem is Arsenal’s stance and his high market value.
‘However, his contract runs until June 30, 2027, which means the club is considering the option of signing him as a free agent. It’s a risky move, as the player has several suitors, but they believe it’s the best option.’
And after talks this week, Perez reached an ‘agreement’ with the Arsenal bosses that will ensure Madrid are given the right of first refusal if Arsenal decide to put Saliba up for sale at any point before his contract expires.
The report states: ‘In fact, Florentino Pérez took away from Arsenal the verbal commitment that if at any time they decide to put the French player for sale (he has a contract until 2027), for any reason, they will first notify the Santiago Bernabéu stadium of that decision and, at that moment, the merengue team will decide if he may be interested in the footballer or not.
‘This agreement with the gunners does not imply anything, really, but at least it is a way to have ‘controlled’ the player having the approval of his club, since William Saliba has always been followed by Juni Calafat, especially because he is one of the great defenders of world soccer and his age invites that his performance will go to more, so in Real Madrid they do not want to lose sight of him.’
