Arsenal make offer to silence Real Madrid transfer pursuit

Suraj Radia

12 Sept 2025 06:00 BST
4 min read

Arsenal have made their attempt to prevent Real Madrid from swooping in on a key figure of Mikel Arteta’s plans.

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The Gunners are hoping that they have finally built a squad capable of winning the Premier League after more than five years in charge without a trophy under Arteta.

But Arsenal are in danger of seeing one of their key players be lured away by Real, who are aiming to sign William Saliba if the defender opens the door to leaving the Emirates Stadium.

Current ETV

William Saliba

D (C)

Arsenal

William Saliba

D (C)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€57.9M - €96.5M

Saliba has two years remaining on his contract and Real are positioning themselves to sign him on a cut-price deal next summer or convince him to run down his deal to join them on a free transfer in 2027.

However, Arsenal are determined to avoid such a scenario and, according to FootMercato, they have been in talks with Saliba over the past few weeks to renew his contract.

Arsenal are believed to have offered Saliba a five-year contract, with discussions said to be ‘ongoing’ to ensure that Arteta does not lose a crucial piece of his long-term squad.

Saliba may hold off on making decision over Arsenal future

Saliba has established himself as a standout and crucial performer for Arsenal, having missed just three Premier League games across the last two seasons, although the Frenchman went off injured after just five minutes during the club’s last game against Liverpool.

© IMAGO - William Saliba has two years remaining on his contract with Arsenal.

Arsenal are aware of Real’s history of making long-term pursuits to sign a player, particularly one with a contract winding down, having signed Trent Alexander-Arnold after his Liverpool contract expired this summer, while Ibrahima Konate could follow suit next year.

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Saliba has always remained committed to Arsenal but the 24-year-old has previously admitted that trophies are the ‘only thing’ preventing him from being considered one of the best defenders in the world.

With Saliba set to star for France at the World Cup next summer, the centre-back may choose to hold off on making a decision of his future until then and also see how Arsenal’s campaign progresses, which may leave the Gunners sweating knowing that Real are ready to pounce on any uncertainty.