Arsenal defender William Saliba has signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him at the club till 2027 with an option for a further year.
The deal is reportedly worth £10million a year.
Saliba’s previous contract was scheduled to expire in 2024 and the France international agreed to an extension last month to put an end to speculations linking him with a move away from North London.
The deal is expected to be officially announced on Friday.
Arsenal fended off competition from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid, to keep the Frenchman at the club until 2028. William Saliba is now one of the highest earners at the club after signing his new deal and helping Arsenal reach the Champions League for the first time in seven years last season.
Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne at the age of 18 for £27 million in 2019 and was immediately loaned back to the French club for the 2019/20 season.
Following his return from a successful loan spell with Saint Etienne, Saliba’s name was mistakenly omitted from Arsenal’s Europa League group stage squad. The club also missed the European transfer deadline to send him again on loan for the season.
The mixed-up caused uproar and it seems his relationship with the club has broken. Another loan spell followed in January at Nice before his breakthrough season in Ligue 1 with Marseille in which he was voted Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year.
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Last season, the young Frenchman was given the opportunity to play in the first team and he established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, helping Arsenal to a surprise title-push.
Saliba’s speed, physicality and technical class helped transform Arsenal’s way of play, allowing Mikel Arteta to push his side further up the pitch.
Arsenal’s season derailed towards the end which coincided with Saliba’s injury, winning just five of the remaining 11 matches to finish second behind eventual champions Manchester City.
Saliba has formed an incredible partnership with Brazilian centre back, Gabriel Magalhaes and is set to continue for another four to five years as an Arsenal player.
Arsenal have been busy in the transfer window this summer, adding Kai Havertz to the team from Chelsea. The Gunners have agreed a club record deal for West Ham’s Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber is also expected to join from Ajax.
Arsenal have also given contract extensions to key players including Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson. Captain Martin Odegaard is also expected to sign a new long term contract in the coming months.
