The ‘crazy money’ Arsenal will demand for William Saliba amid ‘strong interest’ from Real Madrid

Arsenal star William Saliba has emerged as a target for Real Madrid and a few other huge clubs.

The Gunners have one of the best teams in the world. Mikel Arteta has built a truly remarkable squad over the years, and many of his players are capable of playing for some of the most historic sides in Europe.

Arsenal would ideally want to keep hold of all of their top players for a long time, but that won’t stop other clubs from trying their luck at some point in the future.

Saliba is obviously someone who every top club in the world would love to have in their side.

The minimum fee Arsenal would want for William Saliba amid Real Madrid interest

Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019, when Unai Emery was still at the club.

The Frenchman didn’t get a sniff of first-team football until the start of the 2022/23 season because Arteta just didn’t believe he was ready.

After three different loan spells, Saliba finally got a chance, and the defender has been irreplaceable in this Arsenal side since.

Now, the Gunners’ number two is arguably the best centre-back in the world, and that has made him an attractive target for many clubs.

After Arsenal Insider revealed that Real Madrid are interested in Saliba, the same has been backed by CaughtOffside, who claim that the Galacticos are joined by Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in holding a ‘strong interest’ in the defender.

However, Arsenal have no interest in letting Saliba leave, and the fact that he still has nearly three years left on his contract puts the Gunners in a strong position.

If Arsenal did consider selling Saliba, the report claims that they will demand ‘crazy money’ – at least €120 million (£101m) or probably more.

That, if it were to happen, would make Saliba Arsenal’s biggest sale in history.

What Edu Gaspar needs to do immediately to keep Saliba

Arsenal extended Saliba’s contract in the summer of 2023. The Frenchman signed a four-year deal then, keeping him contracted to the club until 2027.

That, as things stand, keeps Arsenal in a fantastic position, but the Gunners cannot afford to sit quiet and do nothing about it.

In July 2025, Saliba will enter the final two years of his contract, and we won’t be surprised at all if Real Madrid start speaking to him at that point.

If that happens, Saliba is as good as gone, so Edu Gaspar has to start working on a brand-new contract for the France international right away.

Arsenal have to extend his deal beyond 2027 before this season ends. If they don’t, things could get messy after he enters the final 24 months of his contract.