William Saliba has agreed to sign a long-term contract and committed to staying at Arsenal in the future. The 24-year-old center-back is entering the final two years of his previous contract, and Real Madrid is among the interested parties. However, the French international wants to remain at Arsenal and is expected to sign the contract in the coming days.
Arsenal has initiated contract extension talks with Saliba, aiming to keep him at the club beyond the expiration of his current contract in June 2027.
Saliba was once a target of interest for Real Madrid, but he stated in March that he was happy at Arsenal and hoped to win trophies with the North London club. Arsenal’s last major trophy came in 2020 when they won the FA Cup.
When asked if he would sign the extension in July, the French player replied: “Yes, I hope so – there’s no news yet, of course, but I’m having good communication with my agent and the club. Let’s wait and see.”
Saliba has played a crucial role in helping Arsenal maintain the strongest defensive record in the Premier League over the past two seasons.
Last season, he made 51 appearances for Arsenal, helping Mikel Arteta’s side secure the Premier League runner-up position for the third consecutive season and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Saliba joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 side AS Saint-Étienne in 2019, before being loaned back to Ligue 1 clubs OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille in successive seasons.
The French international is the latest Arsenal player to commit to a new contract in recent months. His center-back partner Gabriel signed a new deal in June, while striker Leandro Trossard and academy graduates Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have also signed new contracts.
