William Saliba seeking improved offer from Arsenal contract talks
Arsenal are continuing new contract talks with William Saliba but fresh terms are not close to being finalised, sources have confirmed to 90min.
90min has learned from sources close to Saliba's representatives that they are not trying to force a move away from club. Rather, they are asking for a contract fitting of a player considered by many as one of the best young defenders in the world.
The 22-year-old centre-back has enjoyed a brilliant first full season with Arsenal, starring at the heart of their defence before injury ruled him out for the final few weeks of the season. If anything, his enforced absence in the final weeks of the campaign highlighted how important he had been.
Saliba initially joined Arsenal in 2019 from Saint-Etienne, but spent the next three seasons on loan at various clubs in his native France, also feauturing for Nice and later Marseille.
READ MORE FROM THE 90MIN TALKING TRANSFERS TEAM
feed
Saliba's form at that time earned him international recognition, before he returned to Arsenal last summer and was given an opportunity in the first-team under Mikel Arteta - he flourished.
Arsenal began talks with Saliba back in September, as 90min revealed, but are still some way from meeting the player's demands. Saliba has seen fellow Saint-Etienne graduate Wesley Fofana earning a big contract at Chelsea and it is believed that he believes he is more than due a similar deal.
Sources with knowledge of the situation accept that whilst Saliba has rebuffed current advances, Arsenal remain confident the player does want to stay and will agree new terms before the start of next season.
LISTEN NOW
On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth and Graeme Bailey to discuss all the latest transfer news. On the agenda: Tottenham's search for a new manager, Bayern Munich's interest in Declan Rice, Joshua Kimmich, Neymar & more!
If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!