Arsenal are reportedly hoping to secure the future of rising French defender William Saliba until 2027.
According to TMW, as relayed by Fichajes, Premier League giants Arsenal are closing in on extending the contract of star defender William Saliba at the Emirates.
The young Frenchman is enjoying his first full campaign as a Gunners first XI star and has grown tremendously into the role. Despite being at the club since 2019, the youngster has largely spent his career out on loan in Ligue 1.
The 21-year-old has made 25 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions, scoring twice and assisting one more. He is ever-present in Mikel Arteta’s backline when fit and has the potential to develop into a dominant world-class centre-back.
One can argue that Saliba can be the Gunners’ long-term leader in defence. While he still has a long way to go before replicating someone like Virgil van Dijk, Saliba has the skill set to make a similar difference for Arsenal.
Arteta views the youngster as a key cog in his plans and is keen to secure his long-term future at the club. Saliba, for his part, is also on board and appears to be sold on the manager’s vision for the future. It would appear that all parties involved are sold on continuing their relationship.
Saliba looks set to pen an extension until 2027. With several other clubs keeping tabs on his progress, doing so will not just show his commitment to Arsenal, but also give the Gunners the leeway to look to the future and add other key pieces to the puzzle.
The 21-year-old was part of the Les Bleus’ squad that came close to successfully defending their FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. While he was largely used in reserve, the experience will have aided in Saliba’s development and potentially even make him hungry for success with Arsenal.
The Gunners have dropped points in recent weeks and are within touching distance of Manchester City in the second spot. Unless Saliba or co. step up, there is every reason to believe they can blow their hold on the Premier League summit.
As long as Saliba rediscovers his mojo, Arteta can rest assured remain confident that his defence can hold up. Arsenal continues to develop a young team that could form the crux of glory-filled years to come. Unless there is a late hiccup, Saliba looks set to be part of it.
