Arsenal travel to Bilbao to face Athletic Club in the Champions League group phase on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side begin their league phase campaign with a trip to Spain, before hosting Greek side Olympiakos in the next round of matches.
Last time out the Gunners defeated Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League, and Arteta will hope to see his side build on that when they visit Bilbao.
Defender William Saliba could return to the starting line-up for the trip to Spain, with the Frenchman having missed Arsenal’s win over Forest.
Off the pitch, it appears that Arsenal are accelerating their attempts to agree a new deal with the player.
As per CaughtOffside, Arsenal have offered the France international an improved contract in an attempt to fend off interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Saliba (centre) could make his return from injury against Athletic Club (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)
Centre-back Saliba joined the Gunners from St-Etienne back in 2019 but didn’t make his debut for the north London side until 2022, following loan spells with St-Etienne, Nice and Marseille.
Since then the defender has established himself as one of the best in the Premier League in his position, forming a strong partnership with Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s backline.
In total he has played 137 times for the London side across all competitions, including more than 100 appearances in the Premier League.
The defender’s current contract with Arsenal is set to run until the end of the 2026/27 season, but the report claims that the club are hoping to tie him down to a new long-term deal amid interest from Real Madrid.
Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be monitoring the centre-back’s satiation, while Real are said to view next summer’s transfer window as a more appropriate time to make an offer.