Rejecting Real Madrid, Saliba 'only wants to bring glory to Arsenal'

French defender William Saliba recently explained the reason behind his decision to extend his contract with Arsenal rather than transferring to Real Madrid.

Real Madrid has shown interest in Saliba multiple times. Given Arsenal's limited major trophies, Saliba’s choice to renew his contract highlights a rare loyalty in modern football.

At 24, Saliba has become an indispensable pillar under coach Mikel Arteta. With only 18 months left on his contract before renewing, Real Madrid was ready to welcome the French defender. However, Arsenal acted swiftly. The Arsenal staff viewed retaining Saliba as essential, similar to previous deals with Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka, and young talents Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

According to CIES Football Observatory, Saliba is currently Arsenal’s most valuable player, estimated at 103 million Euros, nearly four times the 27 million Arsenal paid in 2019.

Saliba emphasized that his decision to stay was not driven by money or fame, but by emotion: “I want to continue at Arsenal because I feel at home here. I want to commit for the long term.” Although acknowledging “the lack of trophies,” the French defender believes success will come soon: “We have a great coach and a strong team. I believe the trophies will arrive shortly.”

He also expressed his desire to repay the club’s patience with him: “I haven’t won much here except the Community Shield. I can’t leave without giving something back to Arsenal. I love this club and want to win with them.”

Few know that Saliba was initially excluded from Arteta’s plans in his early years. He had to go on loan three times to Saint-Etienne, Nice, and Marseille before returning to prove himself. “I was frustrated, but I never gave up,” Saliba recounted. “Now I’m here, playing for Arsenal every week, and that makes me proud.”

With the new contract, Saliba earns £250,000 per week, making him the club’s third highest-paid player after Saka and Kai Havertz. But for him, the value lies not in money but in the journey to conquer the top with Arsenal.

Saliba concluded with a firm statement: “I don’t want to seek glory elsewhere. I want to build glory for Arsenal myself.”