Arsenal have announced that William Saliba has signed a new five-year deal, keeping him at the club until 2030. This is a significant boost for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners have secured one of Europe's top defenders for the foreseeable future. It also wards off interest from Real Madrid, who were circling as Saliba entered the final two years of his contract at the Emirates.
Real Madrid had launched a campaign to publicly woo the French international in hopes that he would let his contract run down and they could lure him to Spain. However, 24-year-old Saliba pledged his future to Arsenal as the club aims to clinch major trophies under Arteta's leadership.
Saliba explained the five reasons why he extended his stay in north London: “I feel at home. We have a good team, we have a good squad, we have good staff. The coach is perfect for me, so it's the best place to be.”
He added: “I enjoy every day when I have the chance to wear this shirt. I try to give everything, and now I’ll give even more to this club and to the fans.”
Arteta lauded Saliba, saying: "William is adored by all the players and staff, and that speaks volumes about his character, commitment and attitude every day. Since joining us, William has matured greatly, embraced responsibility, and has forged a strong bond with our fans and everyone at the club.
"We know there is still so much more to come from him and we will continue to work together to keep improving with the clear ambition of winning major trophies."
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Saliba has previously disclosed that he owned an Arsenal shirt as a child and grew up admiring the Gunners and their array of French stars, like Thierry Henry. Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Berta has been spearheading a wave of new contracts since taking the reins last summer.
Arsenal have successfully secured Gabriel, one half of one of Europe's top defensive partnerships with Saliba, on a new contract. The Gunners have also tied down Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to long-term deals, with Bukayo Saka next in line.
Saka, 24, is entering the final two years of his current deal, but negotiations have been positive, with Arsenal confident that the England star will commit his future to the club. Saka himself has publicly expressed his desire to stay at the Emirates and achieve success.
This represents a significant boost for Arsenal, as Arteta has evidently persuaded key players to buy into his plans, despite the club finishing as runners-up three years running.
However, Arteta maintains that Arsenal are now contenders for the biggest trophies, as they gear up to face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday night.