Arsenal make huge demand as Real Madrid plot William Saliba transfer

Real Madrid presumption the signing of William Saliba arsenic an ‘absolute priority’ this summer – but Arsenal person made a immense request successful effect to the transportation speculation.

Saliba has emerged arsenic 1 of the champion defenders successful the Premier League implicit the past 3 seasons, hardly missing a crippled for an Arsenal squad involved successful 3 successive rubric challenges.

Arsenal boasted the champion antiaircraft grounds successful the English top-flight past play – conceding conscionable 29 goals successful 38 league games – and overmuch of that was owed to the awesome centre-back concern of Saliba and Gabriel.

Saliba’s improvement into a world-class defender comes aft an intriguingly dilatory commencement to his Arsenal vocation successful which helium spent 3 seasons retired connected indebtedness aft being signed for £27m.

The 23-year-old’s signifier successful northbound London has led to planetary designation for France – helium has earned 26 caps since 2022 – and speculation linking him with arguably the biggest nine successful the world.

Real Madrid person agelong been linked with a determination for Saliba and RMC Sport assertion the La Liga giants are not lone targeting a summertime woody but person made the Frenchman an ‘absolute priority’.

But Arsenal are not expecting to suffer Saliba, who they reportedly see ‘the champion centre-back successful the world’, and would request a staggeringly immense terms for immoderate imaginable transfer.

Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol and Manchester United’s Harry Maguire are the 2 most-expensive defenders successful history astatine conscionable nether £80m but Arsenal volition request an adjacent greater interest for Saliba.

Saliba has hardly enactment a ft incorrect for title-chasing Arsenal but struggled to incorporate Alexander Isak during the Gunners’ Carabao Cup semi-final decision to Newcastle United.

‘Gabriel and William Saliba could not woody with Alexander Isak astatine each – helium had them rattled,’ erstwhile Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport.

‘Arsenal were each implicit the place. That is the archetypal clip I’ve ever seen them similar that and they’re astir apt the champion antiaircraft concern successful the satellite now, which conscionable shows however bully Isak is.’

Speaking aft reaching yet different Carabao Cup last pursuing their 2023 decision to Manchester United, Newcastle brag Eddie Howe revealed his squad targeted Saliba and Gabriel.

‘We wanted to get unit connected them [Saliba and Gabriel] and successful bid to bash that we had to get bodies successful the close areas and property precocious – that is however we decided to bash it,’ helium said.

You cognize you are playing against elite players and 1 mistake tin marque things difficult. We had to beryllium ourselves, beryllium beforehand foot. If not past it tin rapidly beryllium 1-0 and 2-0 and past you are connected the backmost foot.’

Meanwhile, Arsenal fable Ian Wright precocious suggested Saliba and the club’s different world-class players could leave if they spell different play without winning a trophy.

‘We person to commencement reasoning astir about Gabriel [Magalhaes], [William] Saliba and Saka,’ helium said connected his Wrighty’s House podcast. ‘After this season, they’ve got 2 years left.

‘Even if Arsenal accidental to you, “listen we privation to commencement talking to you”, with a World Cup coming, managers and agents are going to say, “we conscionable privation to absorption connected our crippled now, trying to marque definite we’re successful large signifier for the World Cup”.

‘Those guys are going to beryllium into the past year. We’re going to person a concern similar Liverpool person got now.

‘How agelong earlier their absorption teams say, “we request to spot the ambition of this club”? Do immoderate of those players privation to extremity up not winning thing due to the fact that the mode it’s going astatine the moment…’

Arsenal person the play disconnected pursuing their FA Cup exit astatine the hands of Manchester United earlier returning to Premier League enactment connected February 15 against struggling Leicester City.

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