William Saliba may have an option to extend in his new contract with Arsenal, after turning down interest from Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport reports that William Saliba will sign a new four-year deal with Arsenal with an option for a fifth year.

If true, that could take the defender all the way to 2028. But so far, all sources in the English media have reported a four-year deal without an option, so take this update with a grain of salt.

Hawkins adds that Manchester United and Bayern Munich were among the clubs interested in Saliba, before he reached an agreement to extend his contract at Arsenal instead.

That’s certainly unsurprising, given the strength of the defender’s performances in his first season of Premier League football. It’s encouraging that the young centre-back would nonetheless agree to turn down the alternatives and stick around in north London.

David Ornstein confirmed over the weekend that Arsenal had reached an agreement with Saliba for a new four-year deal. It’s now just a case of dealing with the paperwork.

The Gunners activated Saliba’s contract option in December, extending his deal to 2024, but at the time they were reportedly not even close to an agreement on a longer-term contract.

Things appear to be moving in the right direction now.

In an interview with Chris Davison this week, football insider Team News and Ticks reported that Saliba would be signing at around £190,000 to £200,000 a week.

Saliba’s importance was felt through his absence towards the end of the season, with Mikel Arteta having to scramble to adapt his Arsenal team following the centre-back’s injury.

The French international has made 33 appearances for Arsenal since joining the club, all of which were in 2022/23.

With Gabriel Magalhaes extending his contract earlier in the season, Gabriel Martinelli following suit, and Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale signing new deals at the end of the campaign, Saliba seems to be next.