William Saliba agrees new Arsenal contract | OneFootball

According to David Ornstein, William Saliba has agreed terms on a new contract at Arsenal, with formal signing expected in the coming days.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Saliba, 24, who joined Arsenal from Saint-Étienne in 2019 for £27 million, endured a long route to the first team via loans at Saint-Étienne, Nice and Marseille, but has since become central to Mikel Arteta’s defence and one of the most sought-after defenders on the planet.

He made his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace in August 2022 and quickly established himself as Arsenal’s defensive anchor. His absence with a back injury in the run-in that season coincided with the collapse of a title challenge, underlining his importance to the team.

Last season, Saliba again played 51 times in all competitions as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third consecutive year.

In March, he made clear he was happy at Arsenal and “wanted to win trophies with the club,” adding in July: “Yes, hopefully – of course there is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Let’s see.”

Arsenal have been working for most of the year to get Saliba to commit his future to the club amid reports Real Madrid wanted to sign him when his deal expired in 2027. They made a new offer last week and that seems to have worked.

It is believed the deal, which comes with a hefty payrise, will run until 2030.