Real Madrid are eyeing a difficult double deal with Arsenal for defensive duo William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly in the summer.
According to Fichajes, Real Madrid are eyeing a challenging double deal for William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal key duo are under contract at the club, which makes it very difficult to convince them of a move despite the reports claims that the Spanish giants could offer as much as €120 million for the defensive duo.
Real Madrid’s links to William Saliba refuse to die down despite many reports claiming they may not pay what Arsenal may end up asking for the Frenchman. The centre-back has been one of the top performers in his position in the Premier League in the last three seasons, which does make him a coveted target for many of the top clubs.
Florentino Perez was expected to ramp up efforts to land the Frenchman as per a few reports, although it is a challenging prospect. They also need a new left-back to shore up the defensive ranks while Real Madrid are the favourites to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold following his announcement confirming a departure from Liverpool in the summer.
The difficulty with signing Saliba is that Arsenal have already opened talks over a new deal with the Frenchman. The wider expectation is that he signs the new contract, and prolongs his stay. In the scenario that he does not agree on fresh terms, Arsenal will certainly demand a world record fee for a centre-back that could cross the €100 million mark.
Hence the idea of Real Madrid willing to pay around €120 million for Saliba as well as Lewis-Skelly may seem like a rumour, considering their combined value for Arsenal will be significantly higher. Real Madrid are already looking at Bournemouth duo Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen to shore up those two defensive positions, and they may seem like a realistic target compared to Saliba and Lewis-Skelly.
Real Madrid are unlikely to sign Arsenal’s key duo
Real Madrid are already planning a Bosman move for Ibrahima Konate in 2026, and hence Perez might not pay as much as Arsenal wants for Saliba. With two years left on the latter’s deal, it’s difficult to convince him to run down his contract as it does represent a big risk for the club as well as the player.
As for Lewis-Skelly, the recent academy graduate is now a sure starter under Mikel Arteta as Arsenal are unlikely to entertain any offers. Reports from earlier indicated the Gunners are in conversations over a new deal for him as well as fellow teenager Ethan Nwaneri, which could see the 18-year-old stay put for a long time.