Arsenal defender William Saliba admits to 'tempting' Real Madrid interest

Arsenal defender William Saliba has admitted the “tempting” interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid, after signing a contract extension with the Gunners.

Saliba has been linked with a summer transfer to Los Blancos over recent months, even before the La Liga leaders signed Spanish international Dean Huijsen from Premier League side Bournemouth in the summer.

However, Madrid keeps monitoring the 24-year-old’s contract situation at the Emirates Stadium, following his decision to extend until 2030 in September.

The French international signed a five-year contract with the current Premier League leaders, with an improved weekly wage of £250,000, making him the third-highest earner at Arsenal.

He is only behind German international Kai Havertz (£265,000) and Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, who is on the same weekly wage as Havertz.

However, he has confirmed that he was slightly swayed by the idea of ditching the Gunners in favour of linking up with France team-mate Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu.

During an interview with Telefoot, Saliba was asked about Real Madrid’s approach this summer and whether or not he was open to joining the club.

“Of course, it’s always tempting when a club like that shows interest,” Saliba admitted.

“But for me, I wanted to stay at Arsenal and win trophies before thinking about anything else.”

He later brushed aside suggestions that he would reunite with former AS Bondy team-mate Mbappe at Real Madrid in 2026.

“No, no, no. The Bondy connection is in the French national team for the moment,” he confirmed.

A move for Saliba is seen as the most unlikely situation for Madrid at the moment. The 15-time Champions League winners appear to have turned their attention to fellow Premier League stars Ibrahima Konate and Marc Guehi.

Both players are set to become free agents in 2026 and are widely expected to leave next year after opting not to renew their contracts with Liverpool and Crystal Palace, respectively.

Konate has emerged as a top target for Madrid’s hierarchy after Saliba committed to a new Arsenal deal, while the Spanish giants have also entered the race alongside Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester United to sign Guehi.