Arsenal defender William Saliba agrees new 5-year contract: Details here
What's the story
Arsenal FC's star defender, William Saliba, has agreed to a new five-year contract with the club. The 24-year-old Frenchman has been one of the Premier League's top center-backs since making his competitive debut for Arsenal in the 2022/23 season. He played every minute of all 38 league games in the 2023/24 season and missed just three matches last season. Here are further details.
Career progression
A look at Saliba's career at Arsenal
Saliba joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019 but had to wait three years for his competitive debut at the start of the 2022/23 season. Since then, he has made a total of 139 appearances across all competitions and scored seven goals. 104 of his appearances have come in the Premier League for Arsenal (G6). As per Sky Sports News, Saliba had entered the final two years of his contract but is due to commit to the Gunners until June 2030.
Contract negotiations
Arsenal secure another vital contract extension
Saliba is set to join fellow defender Gabriel Magalhaes plus youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in committing to new Arsenal contracts in 2025. Now with Saliba and Gabriel having committed to new deals, Arsenal are securing its most valuable asset—the defense. This comes amid rumors of Real Madrid's interest in Saliba.
Performance analysis
Arsenal's solid defense this season
The center-back pairing of Saliba and Gabriel has been instrumental in Arsenal's title challenge since its inception in August 2022. This season, the Gunners's defense has kept clean sheets in five out of their seven games across all competitions. The only goal conceded from open play this term was Erling Haaland's opener on Matchday 5 of the Premier League season at the Emirates on Sunday.