Madrid confirm they wanted Saliba

One team that will have been disappointed by the news that William Saliba has agreed a new five year contract with Arsenal are Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants had made no secret of their interest in the 24-year old, and had been following their usual playbook with a player they wanted by encouraging him to run down his contract so that he could join them as a free agent.

And now it has been confirmed that Real had been in direct contact with Saliba, hoping that he may decide against renewing, with his profile seen as an ideal fit for the Bernabeu – young, experienced, and with potential to improve further both for club and country.

And, whilst that does not preclude Real making a move for him in the future, Arsenal have now protected the value of their investment, and it would take a substantial offer for the Gunners to consider parting with him.

Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.