Arsenal are prepared to offer William Saliba a new contract that would see the Frenchman become one of the most highly-paid players at the club, Arsenal Insider sources understand.
The centre-back is enjoying another exceptional season at the Emirates, spearheading one of the best defences in Europe.
As a result of this form, Saliba is attracting interest from Real Madrid, with the European giants reportedly making the 23-year-old their primary defensive target ahead of the summer.
However, Arsenal aren’t currently worried about Madrid’s interest, and are poised to offer him an improved deal that they hope will tempt him to commit his long-term future to the North London club.
William Saliba is happy at Arsenal and will be offered a new contract
Since signing for Arsenal in 2019, Saliba has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the game, and has now firmly established himself as one of the best defenders in world football.
Inevitably, reaching this level comes with interest from the most storied clubs on the planet, including Real Madrid.
In spite of this attention from Los Blancos, it appears Saliba and Arsenal remain relaxed about the situation.
TBR Football’s transfer expert Graeme Bailey has provided an update regarding the state of affairs around the France international’s future.
Speaking to Arsenal Insider, he said: “Arsenal are not ignorant to the fact Saliba has emerged as one of the world’s top defenders, and although he still has two-years left on his deal, they acknowledge that he is due a pay rise.
“He is a little way behind the likes of [Kai] Havertz, [Martin] Odegaard and [Declan] Rice and to put him in the same bracket as those players is logical.
“Saliba is enjoying life at Arsenal under [Mikel] Arteta and so it is not a huge surprise to learn the club would like to tie him down.”
Arsenal fans were concerned after Saliba failed to rule out a switch to Real Madrid, and thus they’ll be extremely relieved to hear that the player is happy in N5.
Currently earning a purported £190,000 a week, the Gunners can significantly improve his salary package without breaking their wage structure, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all earning in excess of £240,000 a week.
William Saliba’s statistics for Arsenal this season
Forming a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, the duo have become essential to Mikel Arteta’s team.
The former Marseille man’s imperious physicality, exceptional recovery pace and composure on the ball are all pivotal facets of the Gunners’ system, and allow the North Londoners to negate the opposition almost entirely on a weekly basis.
| William Saliba’s Premier League Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 25 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 4.07 |
| Pass Accuracy | 93.7% |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.93 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 0.66 |
| Aerial Duels Won per 90 | 1.65 |
As reflected in the data, Saliba is very secure in possession, completing almost 94% of his passes, while he progresses the ball up the pitch with an impressive range of passes.
Not producing high volume defensive statistics, this is largely a symptom of him reading the game excellently, meaning he’s not forced into making heroic last-ditch tackles or interceptions.
It’s absolutely imperative that Arsenal can secure their best defender, and one of their best players, down to a new contract.