Arsenal step up new contract talks with William Saliba

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has reportedly reacted to the recent stories about Real Madrid wanting to sign William Saliba.

The Gunners won’t want to risk losing such an important player, and it seems Berta has been slightly spooked by the recent speculation.

It seems this story has prompted Berta to initiate contact with Saliba over a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, according to L’Equipe.

Saliba is a hugely important player for Arsenal and he’s also surely more than good enough to have an impact for a top club like Real Madrid.

The France international has spoken publicly to hint that he sees his future at Arsenal, but one has to wonder if he could soon consider other options.

Arsenal need a winning project to keep someone like William Saliba

It’s surely a concern for Arsenal that they look to be heading for another season without a trophy, despite so much progress being made under Mikel Arteta’s management.

AFC narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season and the year before, but this term they are currently a distant second to champions Liverpool, and might even be at risk of slipping out of the top five.

Meanwhile, Arsenal trail 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg this evening.

Saliba might well look at someone like Real Madrid as more tempting if this proves to be another trophyless campaign in north London.

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Real Madrid putting together a super squad

Real Madrid might have under-achieved a bit this season, but they signed Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer last year and are now closing in on Trent Alexander-Arnold, also on a free, according to BBC Sport and others.

If Los Blancos could also sign a world class centre-back like Saliba, they’d be looking in absolutely superb shape for many years to come.

Arsenal often lost their star players to bigger clubs in the past, but Arteta and Berta will surely be aware that they can’t repeat this now if they want to continue along the right track.