Football writer Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal will have some ‘bridges that need to be mended’ if they want to convince William Saliba to sign a new contract.
The young centre-back made headlines recently after he put in a great performance for Marseille as they drew 0-0 with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue Un.
In keeping the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe quiet for the evening, Saliba reminded everyone of his quality. He may also have left Edu, and the other Arsenal decision-makers, stressing over the future.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts explained how the Frenchman’s contract situation could soon become an issue for the north London club.
Will William Saliba sign a new deal at Arsenal?
Yes
No
He said (04:44): “The fact is, he’ll have two years left on his contract in the summer and he really needs to sign a new contract, you would think.”
He continued, saying: “If you’re not going to sign a new contract, you’ve only got two years left on his deal. And suddenly this is the point where your value is going to plummet, isn’t it?
“And so it’s going to be a difficult situation for Arsenal, they have to really convince Saliba and his agent that he’s still a part of the future.
“We’ve seen Saliba question publicly some of Arteta’s management towards him and why he felt he wasn’t given a chance. So I think there’s bridges that need to be mended there as well.”
TIF thoughts on William Saliba and Arsenal…
As things stand, the 20-year-old has just two years left on his contract. Having signed for the Gunners in 2019, Saliba is still yet to make a senior appearance for the club.
He has proven his quality in the French league and could attract many offers if he intends to leave, so Arsenal’s technical director Edu may face an uphill challenge to persuade him, should he see his future elsewhere.
As Watts suggests, if Arsenal want to keep Saliba, or make a profit on the reported £27m they paid for him, they will likely have to take some action this summer.
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