Few football clubs understand the destabilizing impact of interest from top European teams as well as Arsenal. Even during their dominant “Invincibles” era between 1997 and 2005, barely a summer passed without them fending off bids for their star players.
Mikel Arteta experienced this firsthand when he joined Arsenal as a player from Everton in 2011. He arrived to a dressing room shaken by the departures of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City, part of a long line of players leaving the Emirates for other major clubs. Throughout his five years at the club, contract dramas were a constant, involving players like Theo Walcott and even manager Arsène Wenger. If this continuous sense of crisis eased in the early 2020s, it perhaps reflected a period where, with the exception of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, few Arsenal players were genuinely coveted by the game`s elite.
The situation is now markedly different, yet William Saliba`s five-year contract extension, expected to be announced by Arsenal in the coming days, has been agreed with surprisingly little fuss. This is despite Mikel Arteta`s acknowledgment on Friday that Real Madrid had been lurking in the background, ready to pounce for the outstanding young centre-back as his contract neared its final months.
Reports from the Spanish press and influencers frequently suggested that Madrid viewed Saliba as a dream future addition. Their strategy mirrored the playbook previously applied in pursuits of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kylian Mbappé, and Antonio Rüdiger: make their interest inescapable, imply that no transfer fee would be available, and convince the player that an offer from Madrid would be waiting once they entered the final six months of their contract.
The “noise,” as Arteta described it, warranted discussion. The Arsenal manager was pleased with what he heard.
“When you hear that noise and you can understand certain expectations, players ultimately have feelings, shaped by their families and perhaps dreaming about something bigger one day, and that`s a very natural thing to have,” Arteta explained. “When I sat down with William and asked him the question, he said, `No, I want to stay here, I want to play for you, and I`m very happy` in his own way, so that`s great to hear.”
Asked directly if his conversations with Saliba related to Madrid`s interest, Arteta insisted he was speaking in general terms. Still, he conceded that even a general conversation about Saliba`s future wasn`t much different from discussing a potential move to Madrid, one of a handful of teams who could both afford and theoretically tempt Saliba.
“It was obvious [from] the amount of noise that was around certain clubs; we don`t have to name many teams, but there aren`t many that can come and take Willy away from Arsenal. So it was clear, and again, he was so transparent and honest from the beginning.”
Yesterday`s confirmation that Saliba would soon re-sign might explain Arteta`s buoyant mood ahead of what could otherwise be a nerve-wracking trip to Newcastle. Not long ago, the mere mention of the French centre-back could visibly tense up his manager, as Saliba`s excellent loan performances at Marseille delighted Arsenal supporters but also prompted questions about why he hadn`t been kept in North London.
With their working relationship potentially extended through to 2030, Arteta was candid in acknowledging past issues with Saliba. Evidently, these have been thoroughly overcome, which is unsurprising given that his “number two” has become a key cog in what is now one of football`s best defenses.
“He`s been instrumental in everything we`ve done in the last few years,” said Arteta. “It`s great to see a lot of players willing and thriving to come into the club. That means that they are happy, they feel valued, and they see that this is the best opportunity for them to continue their careers and fulfil the ambition of the club.”
“What he`s done at his age is very impressive, because sometimes we tend to forget. His consistency, his progression, and the way he`s matured as a person, and his role in the team has grown year after year [is impressive]. He`s built a partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes especially, but also with the backline and the keeper, which has given him the best defensive record in the last three years, and he`s been pivotal to that.”
Had Saliba exceeded Arteta`s initial expectations? “I would say so, especially considering how we started our relationship, when we probably had different expectations or ideas of how to best create the pathway for him to fulfill his potential.”
“I think at some point we reached the same conclusion, aligned our views, and started to work together. From there, with the help of all the coaches and players, everything started to flourish because his potential was clear. It was about timing and, in my opinion, especially about creating the right environment and surrounding players for him to deliver what he could do.”
Saliba follows Gabriel as key players whose contracts were set to expire in 2027 but have now signed long-term extensions (Gabriel Martinelli`s terms also expire in less than two years, but Arsenal holds a 12-month extension option). Next up is Bukayo Saka, the homegrown superstar from Hale End, who has unfinished business until this team wins major honors.
“I would love that,” Arteta told when asked if he might soon have news to share on Saka`s future. “From everything that I know, he`s a player who is extremely happy and proud to be here and to have the role that he has in the football club. Things will develop in a natural way, as they always do, and everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us, so hopefully, we can get it done.”
Once that is finalized, Arsenal will have all their most important figures secured until at least 2028. Well, all but one. Perhaps the next time Arteta is in as genial a mood as he was this afternoon, it will be because he has extended his own contract, which is due to expire in less than two years.
