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TRANSFERS
- 27 minutes ago
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal close in on William Saliba contract despite agent disruption
Steve Kay
- Updated: 23 Jul 2025 17:02 BST
- 4 min read
Exclusive
Arsenal are closing in on a new long-term contract extension for William Saliba, with the club hopeful of tying the French defender down to fresh terms before the start of the 2025/26 season.
Sources have indicated that there is growing confidence within the club that Saliba will sign a new four-year deal, keeping him at the Emirates Stadium until 2029. This would bring his contract in line with that of centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes, who penned a similar extension in June.
This comes despite rumours of interest from Real Madrid, which have been fuelled by agent Djibril Niang contacting the Spanish giants.
Current ETV
William Saliba
D (C)
Arsenal
William Saliba
D (C)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€57.9M - €96.5M
Talks over Saliba’s new deal have progressed in recent weeks, with negotiations ongoing between Arsenal and his representative Niang. The Gunners are understood to be prioritising the extension as part of their wider efforts to secure the long-term defensive core of the squad.
Pre-season preparations in La Manga have provided a backdrop for these discussions, with the club eager to finalise the agreement before the Premier League campaign kicks off in August.
Significantly, a source close to the situation told FootballTransfers that Gabriel’s decision to commit his future to the club was influenced by conversations with Saliba. The Brazilian wanted clarity on Saliba’s intentions before signing his own extension.
Agent tension
While Saliba is close to signing a new deal with Arsenal, the club’s relationship with Niang is strained.
The agent has prompted rumours of a transfer to Real Madrid by calling Xabi Alonso’s club to offer him the 24-year-old France star.
The Gunners face a similar issue with Saliba during his loan spell with Marseille, when former sporting director Edu had several heated moments with the agent. FootballTransfers even understands that this nearly resulted in losing the centre-back, who is widely regarded as the best in the Premier League.
Despite these background issues, Arsenal are close to securing Saliba’s future, therefore, ending any prospect of an imminent move to Real Madrid.
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