Report: Arsenal match Tottenham’s bid for William Saliba

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Arsenal are fighting to make sure William Saliba joins them, not Tottenham.

According to RMC Sport, Arsenal have matched Tottenham Hotspur’s €30million (£27million) bid for Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba.

The Gunners had been pursuing Saliba, and had firstly offered €30million for the teenager, but the move included a number of bonuses to reach the asking price.

Tottenham then held a meeting on Saturday to try and hijack the move, offering the full €30million asking price up front, without any bonuses included.

Arsenal are determined not to lose Saliba, and it’s believed that they have now matched Tottenham’s offer, giving the Ligue 1 side the full asking price with no add-ons.

Now though, it’s believed Saint-Etienne will delay any move for two reasons. The first is to try and understand what Saliba wants to do, and which club he wants to prioritise.

The second is that Saint-Etienne are now hoping to spark a bidding war, and are holding off accepting either move in order to see whether one club will outbid the other.

Arsenal and Tottenham won’t want to lose a transfer battle to their bitter rivals, but with the Gunners struggling for cash this summer, Spurs may feel that they can come back and win the race with a new bid.

18-year-old Saliba is a top young defender, and could be a star for years at either North London club. It seems likely that we’ll see Saliba join one of Arsenal or Tottenham, but we may also face a wait to find out which one.