William Saliba remains fully committed to the Arsenal cause for now, having signed a new long-term contract, but he has admitted that any interest shown from Real Madrid will always be “tempting”. That admission will concern some in north London, with there no guarantees that the highly-rated France international defender will see out his fresh terms at Emirates Stadium.
New contract: When Saliba's deal at Arsenal expires
Saliba has become a talismanic presence for the Gunners, with a formidable partnership being struck up with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of their backline. A collection of assured performances over a prolonged period of time have been rewarded with a new deal through to the summer of 2030.
Arsenal hope that agreement will fend off any unwelcome interest from afar, with exit talk being brought to a close for now. Saliba is happy in his current surroundings, but is aware that speculation will forever rage when it comes to potential future challenges.
AdvertisementGettyTransfer talk: Why Saliba is ignoring interest from Real Madrid
There were plenty of rumours to be found regarding admiring glances from Spain prior to an extension being thrashed out at the Emirates, with La Liga giants Real Madrid considered to hold Saliba in the highest regard. However, no official offer from Santiago Bernabeu was ever tabled.
Saliba admits to having his head turned slightly, though, with it impossible to ignore Los Blancos and their collection of Galacticos. The 24-year-old told when asked about the links with Real: “Of course, it’s always tempting when a club like that tries to lure you, but for me, [my desire] was to stay at Arsenal. First, win trophies, before thinking about anything else.”
Trophy quest: Saliba targets silverware with Arsenal
Saliba has spoken on a regular basis of his desire to collect major honours with Arsenal. He has two Community Shield wins to his name, but is still waiting on the most prestigious of accolades.
He said after penning fresh terms with the Gunners and ignoring any transfer gossip: “To be honest, I was not really focused on the clubs from the outside, I was just focused on here. I knew that I wanted to stay here for more years, so I was not really focused on the other clubs. So I’m happy to be here and I signed a new deal, so full focus on my club.
“I didn’t win anything here except the Community Shield. I’ve done nothing for this club to think about leaving. I want to stay here and win a lot of trophies. I love this club. I cannot leave this club without giving them (the fans) something back. My first choice was to stay here and win everything first.
“We have a good team, we play well, we are good. We only miss trophies. The team and I will give everything to win this title. Of course, the people won’t remember you if you win nothing. So, at the end, it's trophies, trophies, trophies.”
AFPPremier League title bid & World Cup: Challenges for Saliba
A move to Madrid would allow Saliba to reunite with Kylian Mbappe, a man who he represents France alongside and once worked with in the academy ranks at AS Bondy. When asked if they could become club colleagues again in 2026, Saliba told Le10 Sport: “No, no, the Bondy connection is with the French national team, for now.”
France are close to wrapping up qualification for next summer’s World Cup, with Saliba and Mbappe expected to help make Les Bleus fiercely competitive at that event – having claimed a global crown in 2018 and suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the 2022 final.
Saliba will hope to head to that event as a Premier League title winner, with Arsenal setting the early pace in English football. Mikel Arteta’s side have opened up a six-point lead on the chasing pack, as they look to secure domestic dominance for the first time since the fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04 – with a Champions League clash with Slavia Praha and a trip to Sunderland set to carry them into the next international break.