William Saliba transfer bombshell drops from out of nowhere to add to Arsenal's woes

Arsenal have been dealt a massive blow regarding the future of star defender William Saliba, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

On Wednesday evening, Arsenal crashed out of the Carabao Cup after their second successive 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in the semi-finals.

Although it was the Gunners' failure to score within 180 minutes hat led to them losing the two-legged clash, most of the blame for the loss on Wednesday was targeted at star centre back Saliba.

Despite this, Arsenal fans will be concerned after a new report has revealed that one of the biggest clubs in the world is eager to strike a deal for the Frenchman, who is a vital part of Mikel Arteta's side.

According to French journalist Fabrice Hawkins, while Real Madrid remain unsure over what the future of their attack looks like, they are clear that they want Saliba to lead their defence.

He claims that Arsenal will be extremely hesitant to let the 23-year-old leave the Emirates, as they view him as the best central defender in the world, and will likely demand a mega fee to be brought to the table.

Reportedly, the London club would only consider allowing a deal if it is to be the most expensive transfer fee of all time for a defender, which remains Harry Maguire's £80m/€97m move from Leicester City to Manchester United in the summer of 2019.

Having spent three years on loan with French clubs, Saliba returned to Arsenal in 2022 and established himself as the pillar of their defence, starting almost every game that he is fit to play in.

“For the first week I didn’t speak to him,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in 2023 when asked about Saliba's return the Emirates.

Arsenal defender William Saliba has established himself as one of the best young players in the world. (Image: Getty)

“I just wanted to see – naturally, without me really interfering in his thoughts – how he was. Because then you can understand the real him

“He had an immediate impact. The first two training sessions that we looked at home we went: ‘There’s huge potential here’.

“He took out every question mark that we could have with him and gave us all the reasons to play him. And I think he’s been exceptional since that day.”

The young defender has since made 116 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions.