William Saliba reveals transfer preference amid Real Madrid and PSG interest – ‘Hopefully’

Arsenal star William Saliba is of interest to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain but the Frenchman has now spoken out on where he sees his immediate future

William Saliba has given Arsenal fans a huge boost by revealing he is in talks over a new contract as the Gunners gear up for another Premier League title challenge. The French defender is one of the most sought-after centre-backs in world football, with the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain monitoring his situation.

But the 23-year-old has made it clear he wants to stay in north London and play a key role in Mikel Arteta ’s push for glory. Asked whether he is going to sign a new deal, Saliba said: “Yeah, hopefully. Of course there is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Let’s see.”

It follows a string of renewals at Arsenal, with Saliba’s central defensive partner Gabriel signing a new five-year contract in May. Youngsters Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are also committing their long-term future to the club and star winger Bukayo Saka is also in line for fresh terms, as he also has two years left on his current deal.

Saliba was speaking after Arsenal wrapped up the Singapore leg of their Asia tour with a 3-2 win over Newcastle, having also beaten AC Milan. The Gunners now head to Hong Kong to face fierce rivals Tottenham on Thursday.

The France international is excited by the direction the team is heading, especially after the club signed six new players this summer. Viktor Gyokeres joined the squad to watch Sunday’s win, and more could follow, with Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze a firm target.

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“Every year is different,” he added. “We have to learn from the last three seasons. Of course, we are lucky to have a chance to compete in the Premier League again and try to win.

“Our mindset is to win the Premier League and we will give everything from the first game. We have a lot of new players and they will hopefully help us to win this league.

“Pressure is good, that means we are in a good place. We need to keep going like this. If we are not good we don’t have pressure, so it’s good. We play football to have pressure.”

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Saliba has also been blown away by the talent of two 15-year-olds, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, who trained with the squad on tour and played in both games so far.

“They are unbelievable. They are young so we mustn’t put pressure on them, but to play the way they play at 15! I remember when I was 15, I was not playing with the first team.

“I was with the U-17s, so it’s good. We have to protect them and give them support, but of course, they are really good players, and I hope they will help us as soon as possible.”

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