“I bet those renewals are all going to be slow” - Ian Wright warns Arsenal they could lose star player this summer

Arsenal legend and pundit Ian Wright has warned the club that they could lose star defender William Saliba in the summer amid interest from clubs like Real Madrid. The Gunners fell further behind in their pursuit of a first league title since 2004 after the home defeat to West Ham on Saturday, February 22.

Ian Wright thinks some of the team's key players could be reluctant to commit to the club if they don't make ambitious moves in the summer. Speaking on his Wrighty's House podcast, he pointed out that a player like Saliba will be keeping an eye on how things progress at the Gunners amid interest from Real Madrid. He said (via Metro):

"When you’re talking about renewals with certain players… Saka, Gabriel, Saliba… the way they’re moving now, I bet those renewals are all going to be slow. We’re going to have a situation maybe like Liverpool with Trent, Salah and Virgil. If I’m one of these players… and their teams are going to be saying, 'Let’s wait and see, we’ve got two years left so let’s wait and see who they get in the summer! I know the manager has signed again but let’s wait and see!'."

"If they’re not going to get the kind of players that take us to the next step… look at Saliba. Real Madrid would take him tomorrow. Why not wait and see what’s going on in the summer to see the kind of players and calibre of player we’re signing?"

Real Madrid are reportedly interested in France international William Saliba, who will be open to a move to the Spanish giants. He has a contract at the Emirates until 2027, but the club will be looking to offer him an extension to prevent him from running his contract down.

Arsenal faithful were left fuming at the lack of cutting edge in their squad as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against the Hammers. Following Liverpool's win over Manchester City on Sunday, the Gunners are now 11 points adrift of the league leaders, who have played a game more.

Former Arsenal star completes transfer to Champions League opponents

Former Arsenal forward Lucas Perez has completed a transfer to Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven until the end of the season. The 36-year-old was linked with a move to Arsenal as an emergency option following the injury to Kai Havertz this month.

Perez was a free agent after cancelling his contract with Deportivo La Coruna last month for personal reasons. The Spaniard scored four goals and provided four assists in 19 appearances for the second tier side in the first half of the campaign.

Lucas Perez will not feature for PSV against Arsenal in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 encounter next month as he has not been registered in their squad for the tournament. The striker completed his move after the window to register players for the competition had closed.