Real Madrid has come to an 'agreement' with Arsenal regarding the transfer of star center-back William Saliba after Florentino Perez spoke with Gunners officials on Wednesday.
The president of Real Madrid was grappling with his team's lackluster elimination by Arsenal in the Champions League, and a unique mistake from Saliba seemingly did not deter him from advocating for the acquisition of the French player.
It has been reported that Los Blancos are prioritizing Saliba this summer, with a story from the Spanish publication Defensa Central prior to the second leg at the Bernabeu stating that the Gunners were 'open to completing a swap deal with Real Madrid for Saliba' if the La Liga team 'incorporates two players in the agreement'.
According to the report:
Arsenal wishes to retain Saliba, but if the player declines to extend his contract and places the club in a difficult situation, aware of Real Madrid’s interest, the English side would be willing to negotiate for the French defender, whom they price at 100 million euros.
Of course, that would only occur if Real Madrid had Arda Güler and Endrick involved… which is unlikely, since Florentino Perez isn’t willing to part with either one.
'Real Madrid remains focused on pursuing William Saliba.' The issue lies in Arsenal's position and his significant market worth. Nonetheless, his contract is valid until June 30, 2027, indicating that the club is looking into the possibility of acquiring him as a free agent. It’s a gamble, since the player has many admirers, but they think it’s the optimal choice.
After discussions this week, Perez came to an ‘accord’ with the Arsenal executives that guarantees Madrid will have the first option to refuse if Arsenal choose to sell Saliba at any time before his contract ends.
The report indicates:
Actually, Florentino Pérez secured from Arsenal the verbal assurance that if they ever opt to sell the French player (who is under contract until 2027), for any reason, they will first inform the Santiago Bernabéu stadium of that choice, and at that point, the merengue team will determine if they might be interested in the player or not.
"This deal with the gunners doesn’t suggest much, yet it serves as a means to have the player 'controlled' with his club's consent, since William Saliba has consistently been monitored by Juni Calafat, particularly because he is one of the top defenders in global soccer and his youth implies that his performance will improve, so Real Madrid aims to keep a close watch on him."
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