Arsenal have made one of their star players a contract offer and are optimistic that he’ll accept this proposal.
Andrea Berta impressed Arsenal fans over the summer with his activity in the transfer market, but the Sporting Director’s work on tying players down to new deals was also lauded.
Gabriel Magalhaes committed his future to the Gunners, as did youngster Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal Insider revealed last week that Berta’s focus is now on agreeing new contracts for a few players in Mikel Arteta’s squad, and it appears he’s already begun initiating these negotiations.
Arsenal offer William Saliba five-year contract
William Saliba has been described as ‘powerful’ in the past, and has undoubtedly established himself as one of the best defenders in world football in recent seasons.
Thus, it’s no surprise that the Frenchman is receiving interest from Real Madrid, who are reportedly attempting to prise him away from North London on a free transfer when his current contract expires in 2027.
It’s of paramount importance to Arsenal that they don’t allow this to happen, and they have subsequently started working on tying the central defender down to a new long-term deal.
According to FootMercato, the Gunners have offered Saliba a new five-year deal, with discussions between the various parties ongoing.
There is no agreement as of yet, although Arteta and Arsenal are said to be optimistic that the 24-year-old will say yes to the offer on the table and commit his future to the Premier League giants.
That said, the Gunners are aware of Real Madrid’s interest and acknowledge that this will be an attractive option to the player.
Arsenal already have a ready-made William Saliba replacement
Arsenal won’t want to lose Saliba, although it now wouldn’t be quite as detrimental as it once would have been.
Cristhian Mosquera arrived from Valencia for £13 million over the summer, and looks as though he could certainly fulfil Saliba’s role in a few years’ time.
While not at the France international’s level yet, the Spaniard is three years younger and can easily develop into a player who can dominate the Gunners’ backline.
Already looking at home in Arsenal’s defence against Liverpool at Anfield, the 21-year-old has some of the physical tools his counterpart has, while being extremely composed and progressive in possession.
He still needs to work on his aerial ability and on becoming slightly less aggressive, but the raw ingredients are there for Mosquera to develop into something special.
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