WILLIAM SALIBA has agreed to put pen to paper on a shock new deal at Arsenal, according to reports.
The Frenchman, 24, had been the subject of transfer interest from Real Madrid.
GettyWilliam Saliba has signed a new deal with Arsenal[/caption]
There were fears Saliba could push for a move to the Spanish giants next summer, when the Gunners would be under pressure to sell with Saliba’s contract expiring in 2027.
However, the centre-back has handed Mikel Arteta a timely boost by agreeing to sign fresh terms.
The report comes from The Athletic, who say the official signing will take place in the coming days.
In March, Saliba insisted he was happy in north London.
Then in July he was directly asked about signing a new deal, to which he said: “Yes, hopefully — of course there is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club.
“Let’s see.”
That “let’s see”, now appears to have become a reality, in what will doubtless come as a huge boost to the club’s long-term plans.
Arsenal’s last piece of silverware came with the FA Cup in 2020, three seasons before Saliba broke into the first team at the Emirates following loan spells with Saint-Etienne and Marseille in his homeland.
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However, Saliba has played a key role in Arsenal’s rise back towards the business end of the table and becoming a regular in the Champions League again.
Saliba has played in all but two games across all competitions this season for Arteta.
He missed the Nottingham Forest league game with the ankle injury he was forced off with against Liverpool inside five minutes the week prior.
Saliba was also benched for the Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao.
But he showed his class in the Carabao Cup round three win over Port Vale with a exquisite pass to find Leandro Trossard running in behind, with the Belgian duly converting to score the second goal in the 2-0 win.
Arsenal face a difficult trip to Newcastle for Sunday’s late kick-off.
Arsenal ratings v Port Vale
ARSENAL plodded to a comfortable win as Mikel Arteta flexed his squad’s immense strength in depth to advance into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners brushed aside League One outfit Port Vale 2-0 with a goal in each half as they faced little threat from their inferior opponents.
Eberechi Eze netted his first ever goal for Arsenal to open the scoring early in the first half.
Then substitute Leandro Trossard secured Arsenal’s place in the next round with a late goal that he rifled into the corner.
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