William Saliba’s stance on Real Madrid revealed ahead of Arsenal contract renewal

Few clubs carry the same pull as Real Madrid, no matter where a player is in their career.

Players can get drawn to the Bernabeu, especially when Florentino Perez is involved.

For instance, Trent Alexander-Arnold made that move just last summer, leaving Liverpool for free, and there were fears among Arsenal fans that Saliba might follow a similar path.

Real were hoping to sign Saliba as a free agent in 2027, but Berta and Mikel Arteta acted quickly to keep him at the club.

French journalist Julien Laurens, speaking on the Gab and Juls Show, disclosed that the 24-year-old defender never considered a move to the Spanish capital.

“With Saliba, I think, he wanted to commit his future to the club.

“There was never in his mind an idea of leaving, going to Real Madrid with a year left on his contract next year, or things like that, forcing a move,” Laurens said.

He added: “He’s very happy in London, he’s very happy at Arsenal with Mikel Arteta, who played him, started him against Port Vale with a very strong Arsenal team.”

Securing Bukayo Saka’s future is next on Arsenal’s agenda

Berta has so far done a great job of persuading key players to remain in north London.

Over the summer, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly all committed to Mikel Arteta’s long-term project.

Now, Edu’s successor has one more significant contract renewal to sort out.

Bukayo Saka’s current deal runs out in 2027, and Arsenal need to act quickly to secure the winger on terms that reflect his importance to the team.

A lifelong Arsenal supporter and product of Hale End, convincing Saka should not be too hard for the club. But if Real Madrid start showing interest, things could get complicated.