Real Madrid are reportedly weighing up the prospect of signing French defender William Saliba from Arsenal in the summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, William Saliba is the subject of interest from Real Madrid over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The 20-year-old French defender is currently on loan at Marseille from Arsenal.
William Saliba spent his formative years at three clubs in France before graduating from the Saint-Etienne academy. And after impressing in his breakthrough 2018/19 campaign at the Ligue 1 club, the youngster joined Arsenal before returning to Geoffroy Stadium for the 2019/20 season on loan.
Upon returning to Arsenal, the Frenchman failed to break into Mikel Arteta’s side and was rightly sent back to France for the second half of the 2020/21 season, with the 20-year-old excelling at OGC Nice. And ahead of the 2021/22 season, Saliba was back in his homeland for a third time, joining Marseille for the campaign.
The young defender has been excellent during his loan stint with Les Phoceens, having been a mainstay at the back, turning out 27 times in all competitions. Saliba’s performances at Marseille have not gone unnoticed, with Real Madrid taking note of the Arsenal loanee’s exploits.
Real Madrid will likely enter the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window, as Eder Militao and David Alaba are the only reliable regular options at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal. While Nacho is more than handy as a backup, the Spaniard does not deliver the goods consistently when playing as a first-choice central defender.
The Spanish giants have thus been forced to scour the market for centre-backs, with Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta recently emerging as a utility option. And Saliba is also a viable target for Real Madrid, with the 20-year-old being a potential long-term solution for Los Blancos.
With Arteta reluctant to give him any opportunities at Arsenal and Saliba recently suggesting that he is content at Marseille, Real Madrid might benefit by testing the waters in the summer transfer window. The French defender will initially replace Jesus Vallejo, who has been linked with Valencia lately, before eventually becoming a first-choice centre-back for years to come if he can continue his progress.
