Real Madrid are interested in signing William Saliba from Arsenal. However, they are going to need to pay a hefty price to sign him. In fact, Arsenal will insist on a world-record fee.
In case you missed it, Real Madrid were linked with Leny Yoro for what felt like the entire summer. The French defender made serious strides with LOSC and thus entered the radar of Real Madrid, only to eventually sign for Manchester United.
Now, Real Madrid are left with an ageing defence. While the defence will suffice for another season, do not be surprised to see Real Madrid bolster this position in the 2025 summer transfer window.
That said, they will have a hard time acquiring William Saliba from Arsenal.
Real Madrid must break transfer record to sign William Saliba
According to a report from Mark Brus of Caught Offside, there is a tiny likelihood that Arsenal will willingly let go of William Saliba for less than €120million. For context, this would make William Saliba the most expensive defender of all-time, a record currently held by Harry Maguire of Man United.
That said, even despite Arsenal's hefty valuation, Real Madrid remain interested in signing him. Of course, they are bound to face competition, since Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also like the look of Saliba.
William Saliba is nominated for the Ballon d'Or this year, which comes as no surprise. The defender is up there with the best players of the world. His status as one of the best in the world was confirmed as soon as Real Madrid came knocking.
But as usual, do not expect any sudden movements from Real Madrid. They are not expected to want William Saliba until 2025. Even then, they will be calm, like they often are, in assessing the potential transfer.
As things stand, the feeling among the Arsenal fanbase is calm. While it is never nice to hear about Real Madrid's interest, they are not worried about losing William Saliba. While the allure of the Spanish capital is bound to tempt anyone, Saliba is happy in the English capital too.
So, William Saliba is one to watch for the future. After learning about Arsenal's transfer fee demands, it remains to be seen whether Real Madrid will genuinely pursue Saliba. As things stand, they have made no concrete moves to tempt him to the footballing capital of the world.