William Saliba laughed at a fan’s demand to never go to Real Madrid while signing his shirt.
The Frenchman has been a long-time target of the Spanish giants as they gear up for the summer transfer window.
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RMC Sport insider Fabrice Hawkins has declared that Saliba is an ‘absolute priority’ for Los Blancos going forwards.
But Real may need a huge sale to meet Arsenal’s potential asking price which would most likely make him the most expensive defender ever.
That honour is currently held by Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, who was signed for £80million in 2019.
And at 23-years-old the Gunners are within their own right to request a huge fee, especially because his contract expires in 2027.
However, fans would be disappointed to say the least if Saliba left.
During the club’s annual trip to Dubai a fan had an interesting interaction with the defender.
“Saliba, Champions League, please!,” he said. “Never go [Real] Madrid!”
Saliba had a huge smile on his face during the interaction, but didn’t exactly quash the rumour either.
He joined the Gunners in 2019 from Saint-Etienne, but spent the first three seasons of his deal back on loan in France.
During his spell at St-Etienne, Nice and Marseille, he crafted a reputation as one of the game’s best up-and-coming defenders.
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He’s since fulfilled that potential in north London, helping Arteta’s side challenge for the Premier League in three consecutive seasons.
Saliba is also a big reason why the Gunners have the second best defence in the Champions League so far this season, only conceding three goals.
But the 2024/25 campaign has also been a bumpy one as Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup while sitting six points behind Liverpool in the title race.
Their mid-season flight has previously produced good results following their return to England so fans will hope for the same.
They know silverware is the real currency that keeps top players at a team.
Players such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas remain tainted names at the Emirates as the pair left and went on to lift trophies with rival clubs Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.
But with Real’s defensive options aging and suffering injury it may be Saliba partnering Antonio Rudiger soon.
In October the German appearing on the Inside Scoop podcast revealed he would love Saliba to partner him.
