William Saliba has agreed phrases on a brand new five-year contract at Arsenal.
Saliba has established himself as one of many Premier League’s finest centre-backs throughout his time on the membership, that includes in all 38 top-flight video games within the 2023/24 marketing campaign and lacking solely three matches final season.
The 24-year-old centre-back had entered the ultimate two years of his contract however is because of decide to the Gunners till June 2030.
The Frenchman is ready to affix fellow defender Gabriel Magalhaes plus academy merchandise Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in committing to new Arsenal contracts in 2025.
Saliba has been contracted to Arsenal because the summer time of 2019 however needed to wait three years till his aggressive debut firstly of the 2022/23 season. Since then, he has made 139 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven objectives.
Evaluation: Arsenal locking down profitable defence
Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz:
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta had three large contracts to barter upon arriving in north London earlier this 12 months: Gabriel, Saliba and Bukayo Saka’s contracts had been all as a consequence of expire in 2027.
Now it is a case of two down, one to go.
Saliba has joined Gabriel in committing to a brand new deal which suggests Arsenal are safeguarding their greatest asset: their defence.
Saliba has fashioned a formidable partnership with Gabriel
There was at all times a threat concerning Saliba’s outdated contract state of affairs – particularly with whispers of Actual Madrid’s curiosity. However that defensive safety is one thing Arsenal have over Liverpool, who face an unsure future with Ibrahima Konate.
That Saliba-Gabriel centre-back pairing has been an enormous a part of Arsenal’s success. Because it started in August 2022, Mikel Arteta’s facet have turn out to be common title contenders.
That appears set to proceed this season. Arsenal’s backline have saved clear sheets in 5 out of their seven video games this season – solely Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis have managed to purge the backline. Erling Haaland’s opener on the Emirates on Sunday is the one objective the Gunners have conceded from open play all time period.
When considered one of them is lacking, Arsenal look a special workforce defensively. That’s positively the case when it comes to Arsenal’s Premier League document with out Saliba, with the Gunners conceding objectives at twice the speed when he’s absent.
Since his debut, no Premier League defender has received extra balls within the center third of the pitch or saved extra clear sheets than that Frenchman, whereas he additionally ranks second for ball recoveries.
The nice factor for Arsenal this season is that they appear to have discovered an ideal back-up for him in Cristhian Mosquera. Saliba’s minutes may be managed this time period. We could also be about to see the very best of him.
