Arsenal were ‘galvanised’ in their push to tie William Saliba down to a new contract after they failed to bring the Premier League trophy to the Emirates Stadium, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.
Although the Gunners booked their place in next season’s Champions League, they finished five points adrift of Manchester City in the race for the title.
Arsenal contract news – William Saliba
According to The Athletic, Saliba is on the verge of committing his long-term future to Arsenal after reaching an agreement in principle over a new contract.
The report suggests the France international is set to put pen-to-paper on a deal which will keep him in the capital until the summer of 2027, with a separate report claiming the deal is worth £200,000-a-week.
It is a major boost for Arsenal as his current contract, which is worth £40,000-per-week, is due to expire in 12 months.
The uncertainty over the central defender’s future had led to Manchester United and Bayern Munich keeping tabs on his situation, while Paris Saint-Germain are additional admirers.
Saliba has been on Arsenal’s books since completing a £27million switch from French side Saint Etienne four years ago.
What has Ben Jacobs said about Saliba?
Jacobs believes Arsenal were even more desperate to hand Saliba a new contract as they lost form, causing them to miss out on the Premier League title, after he suffered a season-ending back injury in March.
The respected journalist feels the 22-year-old will be among the first names on the team-sheet when the 2023/24 campaign gets underway.
Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: “Arsenal see William Saliba as vital to next season. I think that his injury during the final stretch of the season was so sorely felt that, if anything, it’s galvanised Arsenal even more to get this one done.
“There have been some financial considerations, but Saliba has certainly earned a lucrative deal, that’s for sure. Talks didn’t start as early as some of the other contract renewals.”
Did Saliba’s injury have a serious impact on Arsenal’s season?
According to Transfermarkt, Arsenal only kept two clean sheets as Saliba missed the final 11 matches of the Premier League campaign.
Just weeks before the 6 ft 4 Frenchman picked up the back problem, which was suffered during the Gunners’ Europa League exit at the hands of Portuguese giants Sporting, Arteta was full of praise for the centre-half.
The Arsenal chief claimed Saliba had been ‘exceptional’ since returning from a loan spell with Marseille, and there is no doubt that he was sorely missed when he was forced onto the sidelines.
Sofascore data highlights that he averaged three clearances and 1.3 tackles per outing as he helped Arsenal to keep 11 clean sheets, but his injury left a major void in the Gunners’ backline.
Saliba was also a huge presence when attacking set pieces, as he scored three goals and notched an assist last season, and Arteta will be hoping he can stay off the treatment table in the future.