FOOTBALL
By Animesh Pandey
Posted on July 7, 2026 11:00 pm | Updated on July 7, 2026 1:51 pm Former Chelsea player Marcel Desailly shares his opinion on William Saliba’s potential transfer from Arsenal to Real Madrid
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Former Chelsea player Marcel Desailly claims that William Saliba might leave Arsenal, as per recent news. Saliba is currently playing for France at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Former Chelsea player opens up on Saliba’s future presence
As reported by The Mirror, Marcel Desailly revealed that the 25-year-old Saliba may not remain at Emirates Stadium for the upcoming season. The former Chelsea player remarked that he knows Saliba is committed to Arsenal. However, he expects the centre-back to leave the Gunners for Los Blancos soon. He added that one day, Saliba will eventually make a move to Real Madrid.
Saliba was signed by the Gunners for a total package of €30 million from St. Etienne in 2019. However, it wasn’t until 2022 that he formally joined the North London club. In between, he played for St. Etienne, Nice & Marseille under brief loan spells.
Saliba’s stats for the 2025-26 season, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Duels Won Tackles Interceptions
Premier League 31 131 35 17
FA Cup 2 3 1 –
EFL Cup 5 23 11 1
UEFA Champions League 12 41 11 11
Will Arsenal retain Saliba for the next season?
Right now, neither Arsenal nor William Saliba have shown any indication towards a potential transfer deal. Last year, the centre-back signed a contract extension with the Gunners. This means that he will stay with the North London club until the summer of 2030.
Saliba played a crucial role in the Gunners’ dream run last year. They won back the Premier League title after 22 years. Additionally, the Gunners reached the finals of the EFL Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Even though they were eliminated in the FA Cup, Arsenal made it to the quarter-final.
While Saliba won’t be moving out of Arsenal, he’ll be missing out on the beginning of the 2026-27 season. This is because the French defender will require surgery after the ongoing FIFA World Cup. He is playing through medication due to a persistent back injury.
What’s next for William Saliba?
Right now, Saliba is aiming to give the French team another World Cup title. Les Bleus have progressed to the final eight. They will be facing Morocco in the quarterfinals scheduled for July 9. France won the FIFA World Cup in the 2018 edition. They lost the 2022 final to Argentina 4-2 on penalties. Naturally, Les Bleus would want to extend the legacy with another World Cup title.
Saliba doesn’t have too much to worry about his disciplinary concerns. However, he definitely needs to work on his fitness. He is playing through immense pain for France at the FIFA World Cup. If he needs to make it big in world football, he needs to be in prime form. He cannot afford to be injured again and again.
Meanwhile Arsenal aim to maintain the winning momentum in the next season. However, manager Mikel Arteta knows that they cannot afford to be complacent. The team needs to work on maintaining the intensity in the attacking lineup. Additionally, they also need to address the mid-table opposition. This was a stumbling block in Arsenal’s race to the title last season.
If William Saliba maintains his place in the main squad for the 2026-27 season, he can address this issue to some extent. Once he recovers from his back injury, he can focus on getting in shape for the next season. It remains to be seen if Saliba is equally interested in remaining with Arsenal.
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Animesh Pandey
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