Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are battling for defender William Saliba.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur’s rivalry on the pitch is well known around the world, and they now appear to be battling off the pitch for a new signing.
This isn’t exactly uncommon, as the two teams have gone head-to-head for a number of players in the past, and William Saliba is the latest.
L’Equipe report that Tottenham are planning to get involved in the race for Saint-Etienne defender Saliba, potentially hijacking Arsenal’s move.
That has caused Arsenal to ramp up their interest, and RMC Sport now claim that Arsenal have slapped in an offer of €30million (£27million) in an attempt to secure Saliba and stop Tottenham pipping them.
That would be a boost for Arsenal, but Tottenham shouldn’t be deterred, and should stick with the exciting plan to swoop in and sign Saliba.
The 18-year-old racked up 19 first-team appearances last season, producing performances way beyond his years, and his 6ft 4in frame combined with his strength and impressive reading of the game for his age makes him an exciting prospect.
Tottenham do have Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth as exciting young defenders, but adding Saliba would set Spurs up for the next ten years, allowing Mauricio Pochettino to build a defence to be jealous of.
Saliba would cost slightly more than the price in Toby Alderweireld’s release clause, and whilst fans may be keen on a big name, landing one of the finest teenagers in Europe may be a superb way to spend the money, as he’ll be the type of player Pochettino will love to develop – but they’ll have to beat Arsenal to do it.
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