Arsenal make huge William Saliba decision as Andrea Berta makes first move

Arsenal have reportedly made a decision regarding William Saliba's contract amid continued speculation about the defender's future.

Saliba has been one of the stars of the Gunners' season this term, playing a key role in helping the club reach the Champions League semi-final before the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

The France international is currently under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2027, but has been tentatively linked with a move to Real Madrid over the last few months.

The Athletic have reported that Arsenal have now opened talks to hand Saliba a new contract in a bid to fend off interest from rival clubs, which may include Madrid.

The report claims that Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has approached Saliba's representatives about handing the centre-back a contract extension.

Saliba has made 49 appearances for Arsenal this season, missing just six matches across all competitions. The 24-year-old has formed an impressive centre-back partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes over the last three years, and the Gunners want to have the defender put pen to paper on fresh terms to extend his stay in North London.

The report claims that Saliba is happy at Arsenal but may look for improved terms with a contract extension in the future.

It was back in 2023 that the Gunners previously agreed terms of a new deal for Saliba, which now has just over two years left to run.

After their defeat to PSG in the Champions League in midweek, Arsenal now have just three fixtures left to play this season, all of which are in the Premier League.

The first will be an away trip to champions Liverpool, with the focus for Arsenal now being to secure Champions League football for next term. The Gunners are currently in second place and six points ahead of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest with three matches left to play.

Sign up for Arsenal news direct to your email inbox

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal face a crucial summer transfer window if they want to push Liverpool and Manchester City for the title next season and you can stay up to date with every breaking news story, opinion and more...

By signing up to our newsletter here, you'll make sure you receive the best Gunners content including news, rumours, articles and fan opinions - direct into your inbox and all for free!

We also want to hear from you. Create an account here in just a few moments, so you can have your say on all things Arsenal, join the debate and take part in exclusive Q&As as well.