Regarding the contract extensions of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discussed the relevant progress in a recent interview. He clearly stated that the negotiations are progressing very smoothly, and both players have shown a strong desire to stay with the club—an undoubtedly positive sign for Arsenal.
Arteta expresses confidence in completing both Saka's and Saliba's contract extensions simultaneously. Among the two, Saka's negotiations have entered a very advanced stage, and no major hurdles are expected. However, what truly attracts attention is Saliba's contract extension process—due to long-standing transfer rumors linking him with Real Madrid, his future at the club has drawn more external focus.
In the past few weeks, Arsenal has submitted a more lucrative contract extension offer to Saliba. The club hopes he can clearly feel that he is a core member of the team's grand future plans and an indispensable part of this ambitious project. Arsenal is sparing no effort to finalize the extension as soon as possible, as they are deeply unwilling to see Saliba's contract enter 2026 with only one year remaining. This is currently the top priority for the club in terms of contract extension matters.
As for Real Madrid, in fact, the "White Blancos" (Real Madrid's nickname) have indeed added Saliba to their long-term watchlist. The club regards him as an extremely important player both now and in the future, and hopes to sign him on a free transfer once his contract with Arsenal expires. However, in the current situation, Real Madrid has not yet been able to take any practical action. All the initiative still rests with Arsenal: the Gunners are actively pushing forward with the extension negotiations and have demonstrated a strong determination to retain Saliba by increasing their offer. They are making every effort to secure the future of this French center-back.
