William Saliba’s contract extension proves Arsenal have turned over new leaf

On 10 June, David Ornstein reported that French defensive powerhouse William Saliba has agreed on a contract extension with Arsenal Football Club.

The red side of north London, along with Gooners across the globe, let out a collective sigh of relief as the Gunners have managed to tie down one of the most impactful players in the Premier League until 2027.

Saliba won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year during his loan spell at Marseille, which frustrated many Arsenal fans who could not understand Arteta’s motivations behind ‘Wilo’ developing elsewhere. However, as the Spaniard has proved many times, his decision was correct. Saliba flourished into a potential world-class defender. As a mainstay of Arsenal’s starting XI ( barring injury), the Frenchman converted his potential and cemented his status as world-class this season.

William Saliba’s contract extension proves Arsenal have turned over new leaf

The specific wage structure and figure have not been released yet. All fans know as of this current moment is that Saliba will wear the No. 2 shirt instead of the 12 and remain at the club for at least another four years. The player deserves a grand deal for his outstanding level of play, but just as much due to the unrivalled passion and love he has explicitly shown for the badge.

Beyond the centre-back, Arteta must receive praise for this deal. The process has swiftly developed into one of the most interesting projects in world football. In an era where behemoth clubs such as Manchester City (pesky sportwashers), Chelsea, Manchester United, and Real Madrid have consistently spent, Arsenal’s ability to challenge a treble-winning team up until the final weeks of the season should only be seen as a remarkable achievement.

The Emirates stadium is becoming a desired destination for the world’s top talents. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus’ arrivals were massive for the development of Arsenal’s competitive capacity, but now the Gunners sit in an undeniably attractive position. Players such as Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo appear to be a match made in heaven regarding the existing talent within the young Arsenal core.

Arsenal has truly ascended back onto the world stage. As for next season, with the likely addition of world-class talent and the retention of elite young footballers, one should not be surprised if Arteta and his squad make an enormous impact domestically and in Europe.