Mikel Arteta has insisted William Saliba remains fully committed to Arsenal despite increasing speculation linking the French defender with a move to Real Madrid.
The Arsenal manager revealed he held personal conversations with Saliba, who expressed his happiness at the club and a desire to continue in north London.
Madrid links grow, but Arsenal remain calm
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Reports in Spain continue to suggest that Real Madrid are preparing a summer bid for Saliba, who has two years remaining on his current contract. The 24-year-old has developed into one of the Premier League’s most dominant centre-backs, prompting interest from Europe’s elite.
However, Arsenal are determined to keep their defensive lynchpin. Sources close to the club suggest they will prioritise contract talks this summer in an effort to secure Saliba on long-term terms.
Speaking on Friday, Arteta downplayed any suggestion of unrest:
“I had a conversation with him. He’s so happy here. He wants to continue with us — and this is the place he wants to be.”
While Arteta acknowledged that contract talks are being handled by the club’s hierarchy, he expressed confidence in the direction of those discussions:
“It’s a process. It takes time. But I’m quite confident William is very happy here.”
Arsenal’s title pain, Liverpool’s celebrations
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Arteta also admitted he couldn’t bring himself to watch Liverpool’s title-clinching victory over Tottenham last weekend, as Jurgen Klopp’s side were crowned Premier League champions with four games to spare.
“I watched a small part of it. It hurts to watch it — that’s for sure. It was in my tummy.”
The Gunners had been in the title race for much of the season but ultimately fell short as Liverpool sealed their 20th top-flight crown in style. Arteta acknowledged the quality and consistency Liverpool displayed but pointed to other areas as his core motivation for improvement.
Max Dowman and Arsenal’s future midfield
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Looking ahead, Arteta hinted at plans to involve 15-year-old midfield talent Max Dowman in the first-team setup for the 2025–26 season.
While Dowman is currently ineligible to feature due to registration rules, Arteta was unequivocal in his praise for the youngster:
“For the near future, yeah. Let’s see how this evolves but we’ve certainly got a big, big talent there.”
He also noted Arsenal’s midfield depth for next season, referencing new signing Mikel Merino, regular starter Declan Rice, and highly rated teenager Ethan Nwaneri.
“We have a lot of options in midfield — and Max is part of that future as well.”
Conclusion
With Real Madrid circling and title rivals strengthening, Arsenal know this summer will be key. But in Saliba, they retain a defender central to everything Arteta is building — and for now, both club and player are aligned.
Arsenal may have missed out on the title this season, but their foundation remains strong — and Saliba’s continued presence could be one of the biggest victories of the summer.
