European heavyweights Paris-Saint Germain are keen on signing a “top talent” at Arsenal, and one who is rated extremely highly, with the Gunners braced for interest from all corners of the continent.
Arteta commits long-term Arsenal future by signing new contract
Ahead of their looming North London Derby this weekend, some very good news came out of the Emirates Stadium, with manager Mikel Arteta putting pen to paper on a new contract till 2027.
The Spaniard’s previous terms were due to expire next year, resulting in speculation that he could leave at the end of this season, but Arteta’s decision to commit to a further three years has quashed all worries that Arsenal could soon lose their manager.
Arteta’s new deal sees him earn £288,000-per-week, which puts him in line with the Premier League’s highest-earning tacticians, and it is a welcome announcement for supporters after a week of consistent reports surrounding key absences for this weekend’s trip to Tottenham.
| Arsenal’s next five Premier League games | Date |
|---|---|
| Tottenham (away) | September 15 |
| Man City (away) | September 22 |
| Leicester City (home) | September 28 |
| Southampton (home) | October 5 |
| Bournemouth (away) | October 19 |
Mikel Merino’s shoulder injury means he’ll be absent for the derby and beyond, while star midfielder Declan Rice will miss out through suspension. Martin Odegaard twisted his ankle on international duty with Norway earlier this week as well, so Arteta looks set to be without a host of key men for Arsenal’s face-off against Spurs.
Given the selection headaches for this weekend, Arteta has little time to celebrate his lucrative fresh terms. With the 42-year-old now set to be a key component of Arsenal’s long-term project for years to come, there are a few players he will be very keen to keep hold of.
One of them, star defender William Saliba, is said to be attracting interest from elite European sides. Real Madrid have been looking at signing Saliba, as have Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, according to recent reports.
This is hardly a surprise, considering he is one of the continent’s top defenders right now, and arguably has been ever since he began to form an exceptional partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the start of 2022/2023.
PSG eyeing William Saliba at Arsenal
Speaking to CaughtOffside, CBS reporter and Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson backs reports that PSG are also interested in signing Saliba from Arsenal – but admits that the French champions face a real battle for the 23-year-old’s signature.
“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,” said Johnson.
“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.
“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.”
Saliba signed for just £27 million from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 and has become one of the league’s standout bargain signings of the last decade. With Arteta remaining at Arsenal for the foreseeable, PSG could face an even bigger battle to lure him back to France.
