Expert: Real Madrid make 'public' move to 'unsettle' Arsenal star
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(Credit: Imago, Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)
Callum O'Connell
Wed 17 September 2025 7:00, UK
Arsenal remain determined to agree a new contract with William Saliba to commit his long-term future to the club despite interest from Real Madrid.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Mikel Arteta is determined not to lose the 24-year-old any time soon.
The France international’s current contract at the Emirates is set to run until 2027, but talks have taken place between Arsenal and Saliba to extend his deal.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 9 May that Arsenal are opening talks with Saliba as Madrid plan to swoop should they fail to reach an agreement.
However, there is a growing belief at Arsenal that Real Madrid are attempting to unsettle the defender by making their interest public over the last few months.
Credit: Imago
Brown first told Football Insider in February that Madrid are likely to move for Saliba and have identified him as the clear long-term option at the back.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that the Gunners are now likely to step up efforts to keep him at the club.
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“We all know Real Madrid are looking to strengthen their defence,” he told Football Insider.
“They always want to sign the best players in the world, and for that they’ve now started looking at the Premier League to take players off the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
“They’ve been very public about their interest in Saliba, it’s no secret, and there’s a feeling that they might be trying to unsettle him.
It’s something Real Madrid do because they have that attraction, it’s very hard for any player to turn them down if they know they’re interested.
“We had it with Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United and Sir Alex Ferguson just about managed to convince him to stay for one more year before he left.
Credit: Imago
“So in terms of Saliba’s future, Arsenal are trying to tie him down to a new contract because their recent success has been built on a strong defence with him as a key part of that.
“Arteta will be determined not to lose him, so if they can agree a long-term contract that will be a huge boost to them and it’s something they’re working on, but when it comes to Real Madrid, it’s a very difficult situation for them to navigate.”
The Gunners had hoped to have their star centre-back tied down in the coming weeks given his importance to the team and the boost it would bring.
However, Football Insider revealed on 15 September that Arsenal have faced delays agreeing terms with Saliba with no conclusion expected in the immediate future.
Talks have been ongoing behind the scenes, but the deal is expected to take time to finalise, leading to new concerns about Real Madrid’s interest.
Credit: Imago
Saliba is currently returning from an ankle injury he sustained against Liverpool and is expected to return to first-team action in the next week or so.
While the team have coped well with his absence, as new signing Christhian Mosquera has filled in at the back, they are determined not to lose him long-term.
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