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Real Madrid are reportedly plotting a stunning move to sign Arsenal defender William Saliba. The Spanish giants see the Frenchman as the ideal player to bolster their defense this summer.
As per a report in The Athletic, Real Madrid have Saliba marked as their top target and they will launch a move for him this summer. The defender is yet to sign a new deal at Arsenal and will enter the final two years of his contract at the Emirates after this season.
In March this year, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano commented on the defender's future and revealed that Real Madrid were interested in signing him. He said (via Caught Offside):
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"My information is that yes, internally at Real Madrid there is a huge consideration of William Saliba. He’s considered the Bellingham of the defenders, this is what they say internally at Real Madrid. They love the player, they are monitoring the player, they’re sending people constantly to follow his development. One of the best center-backs in the world, but this is also very normal how you can’t appreciate a player like Saliba. This is a fantastic defender, a fantastic player."
Arsenal are said to be working on a new deal for Saliba and are pushing to keep their star player beyond 2027. Los Blancos were initially willing to wait until 2026 to make the move, but are now looking to accelerate their efforts.
Arsenal star best fit for Real Madrid, claims Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher spoke to It's Called Soccer earlier this season and claimed that William Saliba looked like a Real Madrid player. He said:
"There is one player, and people will be thinking I’m trying to cause a problem for Arsenal here and I’m not. But I think when you’re at a club, and this happened to us at Liverpool, once you don’t win the league or the Champions League, other bigger clubs start thinking, 'okay, we can take their player.' So for us at Liverpool it was [Xabi] Alonso, [Javier] Mascherano and [Fernando] Torres and then that team that had been built by Rafa Benitez – players were just leaving left, right and centre. I do look at Saliba and to me he looks like a Real Madrid player. I can imagine him in a Real Madrid kit."
Arsenal have a 3-0 lead over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal after the first leg. The second leg is scheduled to be played on Wednesday, April 16, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
