Saliba to Real Madrid: Arsenal 'stance' amid 'top target' claim and Arteta comments

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Here is the latest on Arsenal’s William Saliba amid links to Real Madrid.

The 2024/25 Premier League season is due to kick off again at the weekend, with England’s Nations League fixtures now behind us. Arsenal will take on Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon - but what is currently happening in the rumour mill?

Real Madrid have set their sights on Arsenal defender William Saliba - additionally, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has explained why he waited before putting the Frenchman into his starting XI when he first joined the club.

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William Saliba will be Real Madrid’s ‘top priority’ in 2025 summer transfer window

Arsenal could have a fight on their hands in the summer transfer window - according to a recent report from French outlet Le 10 Sport, Real Madrid will launch a serious effort to bring William Saliba to the Bernabéu Stadium before the 2025/26 campaign.

Of course, Arsenal will do everything in their power to ensure that Saliba does not leave the club, given how important he is to their backline and general play. Nevertheless, Los Blancos have plenty of financial resources to play with and could tempt him away from the Emirates Stadium with a lucrative offer.

As things stand, it is unclear how much Arsenal will demand for Saliba’s services. He is under contract until the summer of 2027 - as such, the Gunners are under no pressure to sell the 23 year old any time soon.

Mikel Arteta explains why William Saliba did not immediately enter the first team at Arsenal

When William Saliba signed for Arsenal back in 2019, he was not thrust straight into the first team - instead, the French international spent the rest of the 2019/20 season on loan at Saint-Etienne, the club Arsenal signed him from. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKLY SHOW ON SHOTS! TV

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Even after this, Saliba was still not in first team contention - he spent an additional two extra loan spells in Ligue 1, at Nice and Marseille, before the Gunners took him in as a regular in their starting XI. Mikel Arteta has explained his methodology in a recent interview, stating that he thought Saliba ‘wasn’t ready’ for Premier League football when he initially joined the club.

Speaking with Get French Football, Arteta said: “Our evaluation led us to two conclusions: firstly, he wasn’t ready to play in the Premier League in the role that we thought he could have and most importantly, the environment wasn’t good enough for him to develop, for him to become what we imagined and for him to reach the potential he had.

“I was 100% convinced that he would play at Arsenal but not at that moment in time. I told him that I would not put him in because he wasn’t ready so he had to prove himself elsewhere. He was incredible and consistent and he succeeded in managing other problems.

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“He came back and after one or two training sessions, in a new environment, we knew that, from now on, he could do it. Since, he has proved that brilliantly. His progression and his consistency are incredible. We are very happy to have him here.”

Arsenal ‘not concerned’ by Madrid interest

According to the Express, Arsenal are not bothered by the interest in Saliba and are confident he will remain at the club for the coming seasons at least. As mentioned, he is under contract until 2027 having signed a four-year deal back in 2023.

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