Arsenal are reported to have made clear their position that William Saliba is “not for sale” at any price, amid ongoing admiration of the defender from Real Madrid.
Saliba rivals Virgil van Dijk for the status of best centre back in the Premier League—it was arguably only the Frenchman’s late season injury that denied Arsenal the 2022–23 title.
But, even having entered the final two years of his contract, the Gunners consider Saliba “untouchable” in a transfer context, according to AS.
The Spanish publication notes how much Real Madrid “really like” the 24-year-old, but that Arsenal “aren’t backing down” in the face of interest from the Spanish capital.
The Gunners don’t want to hear offers and not even a proposal worth €100 million (£87.4 million, $117.5 million) is expected to change that. Arsenal are potentially vulnerable given that Saliba’s contract is due to expire in 2027, but talks are set to begin soon and the club has the option of putting him among their highest paid players with a new deal—he’s currently “far” behind the five biggest earners: Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal have invested plenty of time in Saliba, raising eyebrows when he was expensively signed as a teenager with just 19 first team games for Saint-Étienne under his belt. But after loans with Nice and later Marseille, he has fulfilled every bit of that early faith from the Gunners.
Real Madrid have hit a similar wall with regard to Ibrahima Konaté. He has already entered the final year of his Liverpool contract, so far refusing the offer of a new deal that was put to him, but the Premier League champions have ruled out entertaining a sale this summer.
However, Liverpool are significantly more vulnerable to losing Konaté as a free agent than Arsenal are with Saliba right now.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Arsenal Give Firm Response to Real Madrid’s William Saliba Interest.