Deal close – Player now in London Colney to complete Arsenal transfer as agreement reached in principle – Official announcement tomorrow
Arsenal are ‘confident’ of getting a new contract signed and completed for William Saliba soon, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.
After handing Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale long-term deal extensions in recent weeks, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu have also been holding internal negotiations with Saliba with Sky Sports reporting on Saturday that it is another step closer to happening with an agreement reached in principle.
Arsenal transfer news – William Saliba
Arsenal have been desperate to reach an agreement with Saliba as he will enter the final 12 months of his current deal, which is worth £40,000-per-week, in a matter of weeks.
It is understood that the Gunners have offered the 22-year-old a significant pay rise, which would see him triple his salary after Paris Saint-Germain had been alerted to his potential availability when Edu was shocked by demands which have been made.
Respected journalist Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that Saliba ‘wants to be well compensated’ after making himself a key member of Arsenal’s squad.
What has Ben Jacobs said about Saliba?
Jacobs believes Saliba is seeking stability, which led to Arsenal growing in confidence that he would commit his long-term future to the club.
The journalist feels Ligue 1 champions PSG will find it difficult to make a move for the central defender at this stage due to not knowing who will be in the Parc des Princes hot-seat heading into next season.
Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “The other factor in this is just settling Saliba because every single summer, for the last few seasons, he’s either been sent out on loan or come back from a loan. Even when he returned at the beginning of last season, in those initial weeks, he wasn’t entirely sure on his future either.
“I think Saliba is looking for stability, which is why Arsenal are confident that he prefers to settle with them, buy into the project and try to win the Premier League. Obviously, Champions League football helps as well, rather than moving elsewhere.
“The disadvantage PSG have got, too, is that they can’t move emphatically before they clarify the managerial situation and work out what direction they want to travel in. They’re moving away from big money, big stars and towards a more youth-led project.”
Does Saliba deserve a new contract?
Sofascore data highlights that Saliba averaged three clearances and 1.3 tackles per outing as he helped Arsenal to keep 11 clean sheets during the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
It was also a breakthrough season for the former Saint-Etienne man, who had waited patiently for an opportunity after joining in a £27million deal four years ago.
Saliba, who has been described as a ‘colossus’, had not made a competitive appearance in an Arsenal shirt until being handed his debut during the win over Crystal Palace in August.
But he went on to become a mainstay in the Gunners’ backline, making 33 appearances, until suffering a season-ending back injury.
Saliba’s presence was sorely missed while he was on the treatment table, with Arsenal only keeping two clean sheets in the remainder of the Premier League campaign, so it is clear that he deserves fresh terms.
