Kroenkes could pave way for William Saliba to Real Madrid transfer due to stubborn Arsenal stance

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Arsenal will be slyly concerned about William Saliba’s future, as Real Madrid are reported to be great admirers of the centre-back.

Mikel Arteta has Saliba to thank for a lot of Arsenal’s resurgence, with the defender making his mark in the Premier League from the 2022/23 season. 

Since then, Saliba’s partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes has blossomed to hand the Gunners one of the best central defensive partnerships in Europe.

While Arsenal are not thought to be worried about Saliba’s future right now, it’s difficult to ignore rumours regarding how Real Madrid feel about the France international.

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s record without William Saliba

Arsenal’s wage structure could impact William Saliba’s future

While the Frenchman is understood to be happy in North London, Saliba failed to rule out a transfer to Real Madrid in the future.

Arsenal will want to do everything they can to keep the 23-year-old in their grasp, despite the fact that Real Madrid are ready to offer a record fee for Saliba.

Aside from the transfer interest and the fee that the Galacticos could offer to the Gunners, there’s another crucial element to the player’s future that could have a sizeable impact.

That matter is wages, with Arsenal notoriously not being the biggest spenders on wages compared to other top six sides.

To get the lowdown on the Gunners’ wage structure and Stan Kroenke’s stance on salary distribution, Arsenal Insider spoke to TBR’s Head of Football Finance and Governance Content, Adam Williams. 

The football finance expert explained the situation of wages, making a claim over Chelsea ‘distorting’ how salaries are distributed within a squad.

“In terms of wages, there has been an arms race in recent years and I think there is a consensus among most clubs that they need to taper spending in this department, although Chelsea are distorting the market somewhat.

“I can’t see the owners [Kroenkes] matching the wages that Real Madrid might pay Saliba, for example,” Williams said.

The finance expert then went on to dissect the Kroenkes’ stance on wages, taking a look at how things have developed over the years.

“They have historically had pretty tight wage control. It hasn’t really moved much since 2018, although the 2023-24 accounts will show an upswing after returning to the Champions League.

“We will get a better idea of where they are at financially when the 2023-24 figures are out.”

The summer transfer window is set to be fascinating, not just due to Saliba’s future but, regarding who Arsenal could sign, with Williams telling us that the Kroenkes could spend big with a lot to prove.

“The figures we recently had from Deloitte suggest that they have surpassed expectations, so how much they spend in the summer will be a real litmus test for the Kroenkes’ ambitions on the pitch.”

How much does William Saliba earn at Arsenal?

Madrid can of course offer Saliba better wages than Arsenal, with the Galacticos already funding the salaries of an array of some of the world’s best players.

Being the best comes at a price, which doesn’t necessarily reflect at the Emirates, with Saliba being the sixth-highest paid Arsenal player at present. 

Earning £190,000k-per-week, the defender earns almost £100k-a-week less than Kai Havertz, which doesn’t merit his contribution to the squad.

In the Premier League rankings, Saliba doesn’t rank in the top 25 of the highest paid players in the league, telling of the difference between Arsenal’s wage structure and other clubs.

The Kroenkes haven’t altered Arsenal’s wage structure in the past, with it unlikely that the club’s hierarchy will in the future but, it might just cost the Gunners Saliba if Real Madrid offer an impressive financial package.