Kylian Mbappe holds a special place in William Saliba’s heart, but could the pair ever be teammates at club level?
The two players get to reunite on international duty for France, but are kept apart when the domestic season is underway.
Mbappe and Saliba have been friends since childhood, both coming from Bondy, which actually enabled the Arsenal defender to have the career he has.
It was because Mbappe was scouted that Saliba was recognised at the age of 12 when he was playing for AS Bondy.
That was the last time that the two stars were domestic teammates, but everything could’ve changed in the summer.
William Saliba asked if he could be Kylian Mbappe’s teammate at Real Madrid
Real Madrid were interested in signing Saliba from Arsenal, but fortunately, the 24-year-old has made it clear where his loyalty lies.
Mbappe might’ve been gutted that Saliba signed a new contract at Arsenal, as there was a chance that the two could’ve reunited at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Though the Arsenal star is fully committed to Mikel Arteta’s project, his possible transfer to Real Madrid is still being spoken about.
In an interview with French outlet Telefoot, as transcribed by Le10Sport, Saliba admitted that interest from the Galacticos was ‘tempting’, but his mind was made up.
“Of course, it’s tempting when a club like that shows interest, but for me, it was about continuing with Arsenal.”
The centre-back was then asked if the ‘Bondy connection’ with Mbappe could be seen at Real Madrid in the future.
“No, no, the Bondy connection is with the French national team, for now,” Saliba said while smiling, dismissing any talk of whether he could be a Real Madrid player one day.
Mbappe’s record when playing alongside Saliba
Given that Saliba is one of the best in the world, it’s no surprise that Los Blancos pursued the Frenchman in the summer.
It’s also unsurprising that the topic of Mbappe has been raised, not only because of the friendship the two players have.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points per game |
| 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 1.90 |
Saliba and Mbappe will want to improve their record on the pitch together as teammates, as in their 21 matches together for France, their win percentage is only 57%.
It’s actually not a bad win percentage to boast, but given how good France’s squad is, packed with luxury talent, the number could’ve been higher.
For now, the pair will only meet on international duty and, of course, if Arsenal face Real Madrid in the Champions League, something Mbappe will want to avoid after last season’s quarter-final tie.
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