Real Madrid eye move for Arsenal star William Saliba
The Galacticos are having serious problems in defence right now, with Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal out for the rest of this season after suffering ACL injuries.
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David Alaba also remains sidelined with his own ACL problem, leaving Carlo Ancelotti desperately short of options at the back, which is casting some doubt on Real's chances of retaining both their La Liga and Champions League titles this season.
They're only four points behind rivals Barcelona with a game in hand but have lost two Champions League games already and languish 18th in the table, meaning they're only set for a play-off place as things stand.
Reports in the last few weeks have claimed that Real are targeting Saliba as a central defensive transfer target, with French news outlet Le10sport even suggesting earlier this month that they could move for the £190,000-per-week star as early as January.
However, reliable media sources closer to home have poured cold water over the chances of Arsenal even entertaining the possibility of selling Saliba, who has formed an exceptional partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Mikel Arteta's back line since the start of 2022/2023.
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While the likes of TEAMtalk have stated that Arsenal would consider a "monster offer" for Saliba, which other reports state needs to be north of £100 million, the consensus is that the 23-year-old is very unlikely to go anywhere.
Ex-Man United chief shares what he's "heard" on Saliba's Arsenal future
Now, well-connected former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked on recruitment at Old Trafford for over a decade, has shared what he's "heard" on Saliba's future at Arsenal. Speaking to Football Insider, Brown claims there is no way that Arsenal green-light Saliba's departure.
“It’s difficult to shut the door on things like that,” Brown told Football Insider.
“But a lot of it will depend on whether he actually wants to go or not. What I would say is that nobody wins anything without a quality defence, and one of Arsenal’s strengths in recent years has been their back four.
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba
“Then they picked up injuries and suspensions, and you saw the difference it can make. So from what I’ve heard, they’re not going to let Saliba go under any circumstances.
“He’s very much a part of Arteta’s plans and one of his most important players. They would do anything in their power to keep him, because having to find a replacement for him would set them back two years."
Signed for just £27 million from Saint-Etienne in 2019, Saliba is one of ex-sporting director Edu's top purchases, and will surely go down as one of the Premier League's best bargain buys if he keeps this form going.
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