Arsenal “could be forced” to offload star defender William Saliba despite manager Mikel Arteta’s desire to keep him, according to recent reports.
Who could Arsenal sell this summer?
The Gunners, after falling short in their bid to win a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, have returned to the drawing board as they prepare for what will be a very interesting 2023/2024 campaign.
Sporting director Edu has already confirmed that transfer planning has been done behind-the-scenes, with Arsenal now set to strengthen in the transfer market.
"Our planning has already been done,” said the Brazilian in May to ESPN (via 90min)
“It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."
In terms of outgoings, certain players will need to be offloaded to balance Arteta’s squad, and there are a few who could depart.
Folarin Balogun, Emile Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney have been heavily linked with departures – as well as young duo Zach Awe and Charlie Patino.
One player Arsenal will ideally not want to lose is Saliba, who played a key role in their title push last season before succumbing to injury late on.
However, according to a report by The Sun, the north Londoners may actually “be forced to sell” Saliba this summer after being left surprised by his new contract demands.
Arsenal are extremely eager to tie the Frenchman down with a new deal as his current terms expire next year, but despite offering him a £120,000-per-week package, they’re struggling to reach an agreement.
Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain are said to be eyeing a move among all of this, and Arsenal are not prepared to let him run down his contract.
Arteta personally insists that Saliba is a crucial part of his plans and doesn’t want to sell this summer, with Arsenal potentially being forced to do so if they cannot reach an agreement on a new deal.
Arsenal are apparently working overtime to resolve this issue and recognise they may need to pull out all the stops.
Who is William Saliba?
The 22-year-old returned from a productive 21/22 loan spell from Marseille to great effect, standing out as a rock at the back for Arsenal over last campaign.
Saliba, called “exceptional” by Arteta for his contribution, was a mainstay for Arsenal – starting 27 top flight games of their title challenge before his injuries at the back end.
Losing him would be a significant blow to the Gunners as Saliba has formed a solid partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of their defence.