William Saliba would not turn down a move to Real Madrid, according to his former teammate Morgan Schneiderlin. The Arsenal centre-back has developed into one of the world's best defenders under Mikel Arteta since arriving from Saint-Etienne for £27 million in 2019.
Former teammate backs Saliba's quality
Schneiderlin, who played alongside the France international for one season at Nice in 2021, said he was convinced of Saliba's world-class ability even then. The former Southampton, Manchester United and Everton midfielder believes there will come a time when Saliba cannot say no to a move to the Bernabeu.
"William Saliba to Real Madrid? That's something he will need to decide for himself," Schneiderlin told ComeOn. "It's not for me to say whether he should stay at Arsenal or go to Madrid but what I do know, having played alongside him, is that he is a top centre-back with an elite mentality who always wants to improve."
Arsenal face replacement question
Schneiderlin said the bigger question is for Arsenal: if they lose Saliba, who replaces him? "There are very few centre-backs in the world right now capable of delivering those kinds of performances," he said.
"I said this many years ago when he was playing for Nice, if I were a big club, I would buy him immediately, because down the line his price tag would become far too high. He is an incredible player to have in your side. But when a decision like that comes up, there are a handful of clubs in your career that you simply cannot turn down, and Real Madrid is one of them."
Saliba returns from injury
Saliba returned to action before the international break after recovering from a back problem. He will hope to start when Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign away to Newcastle on 21 November.
