I was in Tuesday’s press conference when William Saliba was quizzed on his future and what was undeniable in his answers was the strong feelings he has towards Arsenal.
It was the truth when he spoke about being a fan of the club as a kid, something he says is behind the wild celebrations we see from him whenever the team scores a goal.
But those feelings will only go so far and that is why, until a new contract is signed, fans will be edgy about his long-term future – especially with Real Madrid waiting in the wings.
“This guy is NUTS! How am I going to deal with him?” – which Man Utd star left Rio Ferdinand stunned in his first training session?
Saliba confirmed to me when I asked that talks had not started yet over a new deal. “There is no rush,” he said.
In a way, he is right. He was into the final year of his contract when he signed his last extension, in 2023. We are far from that now, so the need for an immediate signature is far less pressing.
But Arsenal fans will be desperate for things to be sorted sooner rather than later because the longer any talks go on, the weaker the club’s position will become.
We all know how Real Madrid operate. Just look at what’s happening with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool right now.
Madrid love a free transfer and have shown before that they are willing to play the long game for their big targets if it means they can get them for nothing.
And losing Saliba on a free would be disastrous for Arsenal. He’s the best young centre-back in the world. His value is huge. So that simply can’t be allowed to happen.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop once the club’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, is confirmed. Sorting the contracts of Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhaes need to be at the very top of his priorities list.
William Saliba comments offer some encouragement to Arsenal fans
Saliba’s comments on Tuesday were certainly encouraging and it’s clear how strong his desire is to win trophies at Arsenal.
“If you leave this club without winning anything, the fans will forget about you,” he said. “I want to win big things here.”
Those are the sort of statements that fans want to hear, but I don’t see things being sorted quickly. I can see things dragging on a bit, as they did last time.
Saliba will hold the cards going into talks, such is his stature in the game now and the level of the clubs that would be interested in luring him away.
So Arsenal will have to show that they can match his ambitions. The next 18 months will be absolutely crucial to that.
