Although some time has passed and his name seems to have been tucked away in a LA at the Real Madrid training group, William Saliba (Paris, 24 years old) remains very much on the radar of the directors of Real Madrid.
The quarterfinals collision of the Champions League between Arsenal and Madrid-where he had a striking duel with Mbappé strengthen only the interest of the club in the French Center-back, which is interesting enough from the same neighborhood as Kylian.
Just like Ibrahima Konaté in Liverpool, Saliba has shown little desire to renew his contract with the Gunners. His current deal runs until the summer of 2027, but the leadership of Arsenal – head of sports director Andrea Berta, the former Atlético -man – push to extend it to around 2032.
Their goal is to strengthen a young, ambitious project under Mikel Arteta, who still haunts his crown performance: a Premier League title.
L'Equipe has already reported that Real Madrid met the Entourage of Saliba to lay the foundation for a potential future step to the Spanish capital. The situation in the back line of Madrid suggests that reinforcements are not only a luxury, but a necessity: Rüdiger's recurring injuries, the physical decline of Alaba, constant doubts about Militao after two serious kneewoon units, and the lack of leadership of Raúl Asencio and the presence of all the attention of the presence.
Van Huijsen is expected to be part of the future, possibly besides Militao – but those linking alone will not be enough.
With his countryman Konaté also in consideration, and with other French stars such as Camavinga, Mendy, Tchouaméni, and now Mbappé already in the team, the French reconnaissance radar of Madrid is clearly in full swing. The question now is who arrives first: Saliba or Konaté? One thing is clear – both would be welcome.