French football expert Jonathan Johnson has commented on the recent transfer rumours we’ve seen involving Arsenal centre-back William Saliba and potential interest from big names like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Johnson provided some insight into Saliba’s situation, confirming PSG’s interest in the France international as ‘nothing new’, though he questioned how likely it could really be for any clubs to get the 23-year-old out of Arsenal any time soon.
Saliba has a contract until 2027, so Arsenal perhaps don’t have too much to worry about any time soon, but if the links with the likes of PSG and Madrid don’t go away, then there might be some cause for concern in a year or two.
Having become one of the finest defenders in world football under Mikel Arteta, it’s hardly surprising that the likes of PSG and Real are keen on Saliba, with Johnson noting that Los Blancos were keen on signing Leny Yoro this summer, though not for huge money.
Saliba transfer situation explained by French football expert
“We’ve seen some transfer gossip about William Saliba and it’s only natural that some of the top clubs in Europe would be interested in the Arsenal defender. PSG’s interest is nothing new – he’s Paris-born and hails from the Bondy region, like Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani,” Johnson said.
“However, at the moment, whether it’s PSG, Real Madrid or another top European club, it’s very hard to see them being able to prise Saliba away from Arsenal. He’s one of their top talents at the moment, and one of the best defenders in world football, and after a strong showing at the Euros he’s shown he’s in that world class bracket. I think now that Mikel Arteta’s future has also been cleared up, I think Saliba will be looked at as a player that the Gunners hope to keep as a key cornerstone for the team.
“I think when you look at Real Madrid and their reluctance to really go in with a big money bid for Leny Yoro this summer, I think Real are waiting to see how their current defensive options look once everyone is fit and completely recovered from injury, with David Alaba a key player still working his way back. Real’s tricky start to the season also means they’ll probably wait and see what other areas of their squad could also do with strengthening.
“I think PSG would ideally have liked to move on some players in defence this summer, such as Milan Skriniar, but I don’t think that they would necessarily have looked to add someone of Saliba’s profile – they were very keen on Yoro, but ended up getting Willian Pacho, and it’s easy to forget just how important Lucas Hernandez was for PSG before his untimely injury, so that’s another factor for them to consider, that they have very impressive strength in depth in defence once he’s back and fit.
“For the moment, I can’t see anyone going in for Saliba while he remains such a key part of that Arsenal project, but, depending on what happens this season, who knows, perhaps a scenario could develop that presents an opportunity for one of these top European clubs to sound out his situation.”
