Arsenal offering Saliba a five-year extension

Arsenal have launched a new offensive – this time not on the pitch, but in the boardroom. According to Foot Mercato, the Gunners have submitted an offer to William Saliba for a contract extension until 2030, making it clear they don’t want to imagine a future without the French centre-back. His current deal runs until June 2027, but the London club want to remove all doubt and secure one of their most valuable players for the long term. Since establishing himself in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI, Saliba has become the cornerstone of the defence, alongside Gabriel Magalhaes. Together, they have turned Arsenal into one of the most solid defensive units in the Premier League. The numbers back that up – with Saliba in the team, Arsenal look dominant and assured at the back, while his absence almost always leads to problems. That is why every mention of interest from Real Madrid and other giants is taken as a serious warning in London.

Saliba currently earns around 190,000 pounds a week, but the new contract would almost certainly bring a major pay rise. He would reportedly become one of only seven Premier League players earning more than 300,000 per week. That would place him among the highest earners in the squad, in line with his importance and influence on results. Arsenal knows this is a pivotal moment – it’s better to secure a long-term deal now than risk entering the final 12 months of his contract in two years and facing a scenario similar to what they experienced with some former stars.

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Ironically, the news of an extension comes while Saliba is sidelined. The Frenchman injured his ankle in the warm-up before the Liverpool clash and is expected to be out for several weeks. This will be a test for Arteta’s new defensive hierarchy: Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie both arrived during the latest transfer window but have yet to show consistently that they can be adequate replacements for Saliba.

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By offering Saliba a new deal, Arsenal are not only protecting one of their key players but also sending a clear message to the competition. Last season’s runners-up have no intention of letting the system fall apart – they want to build on the foundations that brought continuity and stability. If Saliba accepts the offer, Arsenal will have security at centre-back until the end of the decade – a resource as valuable as any major signing on the transfer market. And to Real Madrid, it would send a message: go ahead and chase Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate instead.