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How Arsenal can QUICKLY end Real Madrid's Saliba chase despite 'trump card'
Tom Weber
- 19 Sept 2025 16:00 BST
- 4 min read
News
Real Madrid would officially end their pursuit of William Saliba if he were to extend his Arsenal contract, according to Spanish media.
The Frenchman, now widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world football, has become a superstar at Arsenal, which has naturally attracted the attention of Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have been courting Saliba over the past year, and he is viewed as a priority target for the Spanish giants, alongside compatriot Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool.
Current ETV
William Saliba
D (C)
Arsenal
William Saliba
D (C)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€57.9M - €96.5M
Real Madrid are expected to launch a major offensive for the 24-year-old in 2026, but Arsenal could quickly render the 15-time European champions' efforts futile.
Talks over a contract extension for Saliba have been taking place for months, and AS reports that it would be 'over' for Real Madrid if he were to agree to fresh terms.
Saliba to stay at Arsenal
The Spanish outlet corroborates that Arsenal are desperately trying to tie Saliba down to a new long-term contract, with Mikel Arteta recently revealing that progress is being made.
Arsenal want to get this deal over the line as soon as possible to prevent transfer speculation from overshadowing what they hope will be a hugely successful season.
The North London club's sense of urgency also stems from the fact that Saliba's current deal runs until 2027, putting them in an increasingly weak bargaining position the longer talks drag on.
As such, some reports have claimed that they have made it clear to Saliba's camp that this agreement needs to be wrapped up before the January window. AS claims that the length of Saliba's deal is Real Madrid's 'trump card.'
The belief is that Arsenal will have no choice but to sell next summer if Saliba stalls on signing an extension, which would give Los Blancos a free run at the Frenchman.
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