William Saliba has now put pen to paper on his new Arsenal contract to 2030, according to a report.
Following recent reports of an agreement between Arsenal and William Saliba for a new contract, Tom Canton has now confirmed that the player has put pen to paper on the deal to 2030. All that remains is the official announcement, with the extension done and dusted.
David Ornstein had broken the news for The Athletic last week that Saliba was committing his future to Arsenal by agreeing a new deal, having reached the final two years of his previous contract.
Ornstein added that Saliba was expected to sign in the coming days, and Canton’s report suggests he’s now done so.
The Athletic’s report confirmed that Saliba had been the subject of interest from Real Madrid, but he’s chosen to sign on to remain with Arsenal instead.
There was some concern from fans about Saliba following in the footsteps of ex-Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Alexander-Arnold running down his contract before leaving for a minimal fee this summer.
Real Madrid certainly would have been happy to pick up Saliba in a similar deal, given most estimates would put the centre-back’s true value in the nine-figure range. But the door has now closed, at least for the remainder of the current decade.
Arsenal are investing heavily in the 24-year-old, given he was already the best-paid defender at Arsenal. But the fact the continent’s top clubs were circling for his signature shows that the Gunners are getting good value for that money.
Despite an ankle injury in August, Saliba has already made six appearances in Arsenal’s eight games this season, and he’s sure to remain a key figure for Mikel Arteta for the remainder of the campaign and beyond.