Real Madrid to ‘expose’ Arsenal error by signing ‘indispensable’ Arteta favourite

Real Madrid are reportedly ‘very fond of’ Arsenal defender William Saliba and want him to follow Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold from the Premier League to La Liga.

Alexander-Arnold is a top target for Real Madrid, who want to sign him on a free transfer when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season.

The European champions reportedly sent Arne Slot’s side a cheeky £20million bid for the England right-back on New Year’s Eve but their offer was unsurprisingly rejected.

While Alexander-Arnold is poised to leave on a free this summer, Saliba is under contract at Arsenal until 2027.

With only two-and-a-half years left on his deal, the Gunners need to get a move on to avoid being in a similar position to Liverpool now, with Trent, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah all in the final six months of their contracts.

Madrid are building the Galacticos again, signing Kylian Mbappe last summer to join Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger, Thibaut Courtois and several other world-class stars.

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Saliba would fit right in given his incredible performances since making his Arsenal debut at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

According to French website Foot Mercato, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are already drawing up plans for their team next season and are keen on adding Saliba to their defence.

It is reported that Los Blancos ‘want to strengthen in this position’ and recently tried to sign Leny Yoro from Lille, before the 18-year-old chose to join Manchester United.

Also on Ancelotti’s wishlist is RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol and Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven.

Saliba’s profile ‘is also appealing’ and Madrid are ‘very fond of’ the 23-year-old, who is described as ‘the boss of Arsenal’s defence’.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta sees Saliba as an ‘indispensable’ player but Madrid recently ‘took the temperature with his entourage’. We assume that means they made contact.

The Spanish giants see the Frenchman as a player who ‘ticks all the boxes’ and will ‘follow him next summer’.

When the 2025 summer transfer window comes around, Saliba will only have two years left on his contract, which ‘could expose Arsenal’.

Madrid will be there to ‘exploit’ the situation if there is no extension between now and then, though it is emphasised that the player ‘is focused on his season and does not want to pollute his mind with his future’.

President Florentino Perez is quietly confident and will keep Saliba’s ‘name on the shelf’, it is added.

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