Inter, Milan and Real Madrid want him - so how much could Arsenal sell Saliba for?
Stefan Bienkowski
- Updated: 3 Feb 2022 18:07 GMT
- 8 min read
Arsenal may have to gear up for some stiff competition for one of their most underused players in the summer transfer window.
According to Calciomercato, the London club’s on-loan defender William Saliba has been gathering a number of admirers during his spell at Marseille this season and could be the subject of a bidding war in the summer.
The Italian website suggests that both Inter and Milan are interested in making an offer for the young talent but could face stiff competition from Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are also reportedly interested in signing Saliba.
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Bizarrely, despite his performances for Marseille and the apparent interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, there is still no indication that Saliba would be afforded game time at Arsenal next season.
In fact, the club may instead choose to cash in on the defender if they can get a decent value for him. Especially if the player would rather leave a club that has yet to even offer him a single first team appearance.
When asked about his future earlier in the season, Saliba didn’t exactly reaffirm his desire to return to Arsenal and nail down a starting role in Arteta’s side.
“I prefer not to speak about my future, but I’m very good here,” Saliba told RTL. “I don’t regret my decision. I have been very happy since day one. I have one year here and I am going to give my all.”
As such, fans may understand why Saliba is now questioning his future at the English club and his desire to move to a side that will offer him first-team football.
So if Arsenal are forced into selling the unhappy prospect, how much could they expect for the central defender?
How much is Saliba worth?
Although Saliba may have a notable profile among Arsenal fans, the player is understandably a relatively unknown quantity at the top of European football, since he’s never actually played in the Premier League.
As such, the young defender is only valued at €18 million, which is in no small part due to the fact that he’s still not reached 100 games in his senior career.
However, with a contract at Arsenal until 2024, a reputation for being a young player with bags of potential and his impressive performances at Marseille this season, there’s no reason why the London club couldn’t expect at least twice that amount if they were to sell him in the following transfer window.
