William Saliba has agreed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, securing his future at the club despite reported interest from Real Madrid. The 24-year-old centre-back has been a key figure for Mikel Arteta since establishing himself in the first team during the 2022-23 season.
The deal, which has been under negotiation for several months, is expected to be confirmed shortly. Saliba's current contract was due to run until June 2027, but the extension represents a significant boost for the club, particularly given the attention from the Spanish giants.
Saliba has become a cornerstone of Arsenal's defence, playing more Premier League minutes than any other outfield player in each of the past two campaigns. During that period, Arsenal boasted the best defensive record in the division. Arteta regards the Frenchman as his defensive leader.
Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint-Étienne for £27m in 2019. He spent time on loan back at Saint-Étienne, as well as at Nice and Marseille, where he was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season in 2021-22. He has since been included in the PFA Premier League team of the year for three consecutive seasons.
The new deal follows a series of contract extensions at Arsenal, including those for Gabriel Magalhães in June and younger talents Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri over the summer.
