REAL MADRID IDENTIFY 190,000-A-WEEK ARSENAL STAR AS TOP TRANSFER TARGET
In what would be a major blow for Mikel Arteta, Real Madrid have reportedly identified one particular Arsenal star as their top target in this summer's transfer window.
Arsenal transfer news
As the Gunners look to make it a third time lucky in the Premier League next season, they could be faced with an all too familiar story of star players heading out The Emirates exit door. Those in North London suffered heartbreak once again last season of course, as Manchester City won their fourth consecutive Premier League title to keep Pep Guardiola's winning machine rolling on.
Star players leaving is a story that Arsene Wenger saw one too many times during his legendary tenure, with the likes of Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas jumping ship. The former went on and won the Premier League with rivals Manchester United, whilst the latter joined Barcelona before returning to English football with Chelsea. And now, years later, reports suggest that Arteta could suffer a similar fate.
Arsenal now offered 50 million PSG star as Bayern Munich consider talks
The Gunners could also beat PL rivals to his signature...
According to Caught Offside, Real Madrid have identified William Saliba as their top target in central defence this summer alongside Lille's Leny Yoro, but Arsenal are not willing to part ways with their star defender who has become a vital cog in Arteta's side.
The Spanish giants aren't alone in their interest either, with Paris Saint-Germain also eyeing a move to sign the £190,000-a-week France international in the coming months. Of course, it's a great compliment to Saliba that such clubs are interested in his signature, but it remains to be seen whether he'll be tempted to jump ship and deal Arsenal fans yet another heartbreak, courtesy of a La Liga giant.
Replacing the defender would be a near-impossible task, so there's no doubt that the Gunners will be desperate to keep hold of Saliba this summer.
"Superb" Saliba is one of Premier League's best
Forming one half of last season's best centre-back partnership in the Premier League statistically, Saliba stands out as one of the best players that English football has to offer these days in what goes a long way towards the project that Arsenal are building.
| Premier League stats 23/24 (FBref) | William Saliba | Virgil van Dijk |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Passes | 157 | 200 |
| Progressive Carries | 16 | 32 |
| Tackles Won | 26 | 23 |
| Ball Recoveries | 213 | 17- |
Whilst he is yet to earn the silverware to add accreditation to his stature, Arteta has still been full of praise for his star defender. The Arsenal boss previously told Sky Sports via TNT Sports: “Saliba was superb. For his age, he is built really well. You need the right balance. Physicality in this league is something where you can’t come up short. If you do, you will be exposed. It’s the same with Ben [White] to have another player in that backline who can make a difference.”
With that said, keeping hold of Saliba this summer amid reported interest from Real Madrid and PSG must be seen as one of Arsenal's biggest priorities this summer.
2024-07-01T06:30:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd