William Saliba is undoubtedly one of the hottest properties in Europe right now, and Arsenal have just tightened their grip on the Frenchman’s future.
Indeed, the Gunners have now reportedly triggered an extension clause in Saliba’s contract to keep him at the club until 2024.
The defender’s contract had originally been set to expire this summer, but they did hold the option to extend this contract by an extra year.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have now triggered that extension as well as a similar option in Charlie Patino’s contract.
This is undoubtedly fantastic news for Arsenal fans.
Saliba has been one of the Gunners’ very best players this season and the fact that he’s now tied into a contract for a further year is a real boost.
However, as Romano says, the true goal is to tie Saliba down to a new long-term deal, and negotiations are ongoing to that effect.
Whether or not Saliba signs a new contract remains to be seen, but, in our view, he’d be a fool to walk away from Mikel Arteta’s project right now.
Saliba has been unreal in this team and at the age of just 21, he needs to continue to develop in this way under a manager who trusts him wholeheartedly.
Eventually, Saliba may well consider joining a team such as Real Madrid or Barcelona, but right now, he should focus on developing his craft and perfecting his game at Arsenal.
This mini contract extension is certainly a boost for the Gunners, but the club may not be truly secure about Saliba’s future until he puts pen to paper on a new long-term deal.
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