Arsenal's 'world-class' star tipped to be subject of £83m bid despite 'not-for-sale' stance

Arsenal have arguably one of the best defensive set-ups in the Premier League and this has not gone unnoticed, with one star tipped to be the subject of an £83 million bid from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Reports from Spain have claimed that PSG are preparing an ‘ambitious’ bid to sign Gunners’ centre-back William Saliba. Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar have, however, adopted a ‘not-for-sale’ stance on the 23-year-old.

Despite this stance, there is a belief that an offer as high as £83m could persuade the Gunners to ‘reconsider’ their mindset. The report adds that while it would be a huge blow to the N7 club if the 23-year-old Frenchman were to return to his home country, an exit is highly unlikely to be sanctioned given just how imperative the defender is to Arteta and Arsenal’s title hopes.

Adding to the speculation, Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson spoke to CaughtOffSide, contending: “At the moment, whether it’s PSG, Real Madrid or another top European club, it’s very hard to see them being able to prise Saliba away from Arsenal.

“He’s one of their top talents at the moment, and one of the best defenders in world football and after a strong showing at the Euros he’s shown he’s in that world-class bracket.”

“For the moment, I can’t see anyone going in for Saliba while he remains such a key part of that Arsenal project, but, depending on what happens this season, who knows”, the journalist continued. “Perhaps a scenario could develop that presents an opportunity for one of those top European clubs to sound out his situation.”

While reports in Spain indicate the potential for Saliba to be enticed to return back to France, Italian transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has indicated that there has, in fact, been ‘nothing’ to indicate PSG could make a big offer.

In his CaughtOffSide column, the sports journalist wrote: “Although William Saliba will always be appreciated because of his immense talent, there’s nothing in a rumour that Paris Saint-Germain could make a big offer for his services at this stage.

“There has been no approach from PSG, no proposal, no talks. Saliba is a crucial player for Arsenal so I don’t think there could be anything for Saliba to even consider soon. He’s very happy at Arsenal and there’s nothing ongoing with any club

The 23-year-old France international first arrived at the Emirates in 2019 but was sent out on loan. He broke into the first-team squad ahead of the 2022/23 season and has since formed a solid partnership with fellow centre-back Gabriel. Last campaign, the French defender became the first Arsenal outfield player to have played every minute (3,420 in total) of a season for the club in the Premier League era.