Key to the Gunners' defensive stability has been the partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba - as well as some fine form of late for David Raya. With the Gunners' full-back injury issues, the trio at the heart of the Arsenal defence has faced a rotating cast of support, and have excelled nonetheless.
However, with prolonged spells of excellent form comes interest from elsewhere, and Real Madrid have long been linked with a move for Saliba. It's no surprise, given the Spanish side's history of looking to sign the best young players in the world, with the likes of Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga joining in recent seasons.
With the Gunners looking likely to go another season without winning the Premier League, the pressure will ramp up on the club to hold onto their star men - be it players or manager Mikel Arteta.
There could be danger from elsewhere, as well. Liverpool look set to pip the Gunners to the title after a strong first season under Arne Slot. However, the Reds have a contract issue with three of their key men currently set to leave.
Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all out of contract at the end of the season. Alexander-Arnold, like Saliba, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer and could join on a free transfer, which could be an absolute bargain for someone of his quality.
While rumours seem a little stronger on club captain Van Dijk staying at Anfield beyond the end of this season, it's not a certainty and the club will naturally be looking at possible replacements should they be unable to convince the defender to sign a new deal.
And the Gunners will have to be wary if they are unable to at least challenge for the Champions League trophy. Saliba is a player who will want to be competing for the top honours year in, year out in his career, and over the last five years Liverpool have shown they can do that more regularly than Arsenal.
Van Dijk has already given a glowing review of the 23-year-old, stating on Rio Ferdinand's podcast back in October that the Arsenal man is far ahead of where he was at the young star's age.
"Obviously, Saliba's making very good steps at the moment," Van Dijk said. "He's the first one I just have in mind now. He's a solid one. I think in possession, he's doing a good job."
Comparing the two, van Dijk added: "Yeah [he reminds me of myself], maybe. I think, if I'm honest, when I was that age, I was nowhere near where he was today."
Whether the Reds would be willing to sanction a costly move for Saliba remains to be seen - but former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says that the French star already looks like a Real Madrid man.
"There is one player, and people will be thinking I’m trying to cause a problem for Arsenal here and I’m not," Carragher said on the 'It’s Called Soccer' podcast.
"But I think when you’re at a club, and this happened to us at Liverpool, once you don’t win the league or the Champions League, other bigger clubs start thinking, 'okay, we can take their player'.
"So for us at Liverpool it was [Xabi] Alonso, [Javier] Mascherano and [Fernando] Torres and then that team that had been built by Rafa Benitez – players were just leaving left, right and centre. I do look at Saliba and to me he looks like a Real Madrid player. I can imagine him in a Real Madrid kit."
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