Real Madrid are unwilling to pay anywhere close to €100 million for William Saliba and could formulate a similar structure to the Jude Bellingham deal.
According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid is plotting a raid on Arsenal for William Saliba, although they do not want to pay anywhere near the €100 million price. The Spanish giants are reportedly looking at other ways to sign the Frenchman, as the story suggests they could go the route of a heavily incentivised deal to test the Gunners.
Real Madrid’s William Saliba plan
Saliba has been exceptional for Arsenal over the last two seasons and is bound to become one of the top central defenders in the Premier League and the world. The Frenchman has been a bedrock of Mikel Arteta’s backline, which conceded the fewest goals in the English top flight last season.
As a consequence of his top-draw performances for Arsenal and now regularly in the France team, William Saliba has attracted plenty of interest in the market. The Gunners were smart enough to secure him a new four-year deal last year, which does let them dictate terms to a certain extent. However, if a club like Real Madrid come calling, the player will always have his head turned.
Arsenal have been warned about Real Madrid’s interest in the defender, as the Spanish giants could look to make a move next summer. However, as the report suggests, they are not keen on paying anywhere close to €100 million and instead have thought about a new formula to test Arsenal.
Real Madrid could deploy a similar strategy to the one they used when signing Jude Bellingham last year when they structured a heavily incentivised deal with Borussia Dortmund. This means that they could propose a lower fixed fee for William Saliba and instead cover the rest in performance-related add-ons.
Arsenal unlikely to entertain Saliba enquiries
As things stand, Saliba is expected to attract the best clubs towards him, and Real Madrid have watched him with intent. However, his place in Arteta’s squad is instead an important one, and the club will make sure they put up a proper fight rather than losing him quickly.
Even if the report suggests a €100 million price, Arsenal have the capacity and power to demand much more, and it will be interesting to see how Real Madrid respond then. For now, the player will be focused on the season ahead, and further down the line, the Gunners could even open talks over a new deal.
