Arsenal defender William Saliba has cemented himself as one of the Premier League's best defenders in recent seasons - inevitably leading to interest from elite clubs elsewhere in Europe.
Naturally, one of those sides is Real Madrid. According to French outlet Le 10 Sport, Los Blancos are set to make Saliba their "top priority" in 2025, with the Frenchman viewed as the perfect centre-back for their star-studded team.
The report adds that Real Madrid have already contacted Saliba's representatives over a potential move, but it seems Arsenal are actually at greater risk of losing the 23-year-old for free when his contract expires at the end of the 2026/27 season.
Arsenal could lose William Saliba for free
Despite their assembling of a second-generation Galactico squad in recent seasons, Real Madrid have actually opted against paying transfer fees for defenders since signing Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao in 2019 for 53m and 50m, respectively.
Instead, Los Blancos have placed a lot more emphasis on signing midfielders and attacking talent for big money, with Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick all arriving in hefty moves.
In the same period, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger have both arrived on free transfers after letting their contracts run down at their previous clubs, with the lure of Real Madrid simply too good to refuse.
So while Arsenal might hold out for a nine-figure sum for Saliba - considerably more than the 80m Transfermarkt values him at - the pulling power of Carlo Ancelotti's side could see the defender refuse a new contract at the Emirates and hold out for a move to the Spanish capital.
Trophies are inevitable at the Bernabeu, while Saliba is still waiting for his first piece of proper silverware in north London. True, Mikel Arteta's side are on the cusp of relinquishing Manchester City's grip of the Premier League title, but there's no guarantee they'll manage it in the near future - at Real Madrid, though, a La Liga or Champions League crown is always just a season away.
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Plus, Real Madrid have proven with the Kylian Mbappe transfer saga that they're willing to wait for priority signings. Two years to land Saliba will take some patience, but it took them three years before eventually landing Mbappe in the summer. Saliba will still only be just 26 when the summer of 2027 comes around, too.
Whether Arsenal like it or not, FourFourTwo believes there's certainly a huge risk that Saliba will leave for free in the summer of 2027. Player power is at an all-time high, and the Frenchman has plenty of options available to him.
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