Manchester United were reportedly interested in signing William Saliba from Arsenal before he committed to a new contract.
According to Fabrice Hawkins, Manchester United wanted to poach 22-year-old French defender William Saliba away from Arsenal before he signed a four-year contract with them.
Saliba has been a key player for Arsenal this past season, and his injury derailed their title race towards the end of the campaign. The 22-year-old Frenchman is destined to develop into a top-class defender. So it is no surprise that the top clubs are looking to sign him.
Recent reports have claimed that he snubbed Real Madrid to commit to a new four-year contract with Arsenal. But it now turns out that Manchester United and Bayern Munich were also keen on securing Saliba’s services.
Manchester United need to add more quality to their defence, and Saliba would have been a superb long-term acquisition. The Red Devils could lose players like Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof during the summer transfer window. Both players have fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and need to leave the club in order to play regularly.
❗️William Saliba et Arsenal ont trouvé un accord pour une prolongation de contrat 🇫🇷💫
🔹 Le Français va signer 4 ans + 1 année en option
🔹Plusieurs clubs dont Manchester United et le Bayern Munich étaient intéressés pic.twitter.com/d7sRAkfJYr
— Fabrice Hawkins (@FabriceHawkins) June 12, 2023
Manchester United will have to bring in a quality central defender this summer and they have been linked with the Napoli star Kim Min-jae as well. Saliba has already established himself as a key player for Arsenal in the Premier League, and he is likely to develop further with coaching and experience. The 22-year-old has all the attributes to develop into a world-class defender.
Arsenal will be delighted that the player has signed a four-year contract with them. They will want to hold on to him for as long as possible. The highly-rated Frenchman will be hoping to return from his injury and help Arsenal compete for trophies once again next season.
The Gunners pushed Manchester City for the Premier League title this past season. And Arsenal will feel that they could have gone all the way had Saliba been fit towards the end of the season.
As for Manchester United, they will have to add more depth to the site. Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are the only reliable defenders of the club right now. They should look to bring in another central defender during the summer transfer window. But it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal for Kim Min-jae across the line.
