La Liga heavyweights Atletico Madrid have placed Arsenal defender William Saliba high on their shortlist over a summer move.
According to Fichajes, William Saliba features high on Atletico Madrid’s shortlist of central defenders ahead of next summer. Diego Simeone is keen to refresh his backline and is eyeing several names, including the Arsenal defender.
The struggling La Liga heavyweights are aware of the centre-back’s stature in London, but they will still make an attempt. Arsenal are not even distantly considering the possibility of selling Salba, no matter how good a potential offer can be. This season, the French defender has made a name under Mikel Arteta, who considers him untouchable.
Yet there is a contractual situation hanging over Arsenal’s head, with Saliba’s current deal set to expire in 2024. The Gunners are keen to offer him a new contract, with confidence they could achieve an agreement. The north London club are also eager to extend Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka’s deals.
Arteta considers the trio vital for Arsenal’s future, so the 21-year-old Saliba is an untouchable force in the squad. Yet, interest is rife from top clubs, who could target a move next summer. Real Madrid are also keeping tabs, along with other heavyweights.
Paris Saint-Germain are also credited with an interest and are now joined by Atletico Madrid in the hunt. The struggling La Liga heavyweights have big problems with their defence and could look at options, including Saliba, in the summer.
Diego Simeone is having a disastrous season at the helm and has laid much blame on his backline. The Rojiblancos have prepared a shortlist, with Saliba’s name at the top. They are aware of the difficulties in getting a deal done but remain open to making an attempt to sign the Arsenal defender.
One hurdle would be Arsenal’s reluctance to sell, with the other being the tremendous interest of several European bigwigs. The general expectation would be that Saliba would prefer to join Real Madrid or PSG instead of Atletico Madrid, but Simeone will be hoping to lure him in.
For now, Saliba remains Arteta’s first choice central defender, and Arsenal have no plans to sell him. They will undoubtedly look to wrap up a new contract at the earliest, although things could get complicated if the interest from others becomes severe.
