Arsenal have opened contract talks with William Saliba following an impressive start to his Gunners career, according to The Times.
The Frenchman signed for the north Londoners from Saint-Etienne back in 2019, but had to wait until August this year to make his competitive debut for the club.
The 21-year-old has been exceptional in central defence alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, and plans are now underway to keep him at the Gunners for the long term.
His ongoing £40,000-a-week contract expires in June 2024. The Gunners are prepared to offer a significant hike such that he does not enter the final year of his deal.
Saliba will be handed the opportunity to extend his stay until the summer of 2027.
Arsenal must sort out Saliba’s future as soon as possible
The youngster joined the Gunners with a huge reputation in 2019, but was prone to making positional errors.
There has been a drastic improvement after three loan spells in the French top tier and he is now considered as one of the guaranteed starters under manager Mikel Arteta.
According to OptaJoe, Saliba has won possession on 71 occasions in the Premier League this campaign, more than any other player. He recently starred in the north London derby win.
After such an outstanding start to his Gunners career, Saliba will of course demand a significant salary hike.
Arsenal will be aware of the same, but must ensure that they convince him to pen a renewal beyond 2024.
If not, there will be top European clubs wanting to prise him away. If Saliba enters the final year of his deal next summer, the Gunners will be persuaded to accept a premium transfer fee.
Oleksandr Zinchenko recently praised him as an ‘unbelievable‘ player and Saliba seems to have all the attributes to evolve into a world-class performer for Arsenal in the long run.
