William Saliba’s new deal is already Arsenal’s best news of the summer

I know what you’re thinking. It might be a little too early to be making such proclamations. I mean, the summer transfer window hasn’t even opened its doors yet and Arsenal are poised to be a major player in the market.

Plenty is expected to happen in north London as Mikel Arteta attempts to build a squad capable of challenging and potentially usurping treble-winners Manchester City in 2023/24. The Gunners led the way for so long this season before a vintage sky-blue run combined with Arsenal’s faltering epilogue allowed Pep Guardiola’s all-time great side to win their third-straight Premier League title.

William Saliba’s new deal is already Arsenal’s best news of the summer

Leapfrogging the Citizens will be far from a simple task, and greater competition is bound to arise from Liverpool and Manchester United next season. As a result, an ambitious and aggressive transfer window is required, with the likes of Declan Rice, Ilkay Gundogan, and Moises Caicedo all linked with moves to the Emirates. A midfield overhaul could be in order, while superior depth is needed down the flanks and in defence.

While a potential new signing – say Rice – could help transform Arteta’s side next season and beyond, it’s hard to envisage any arrival having the impact William Saliba has since he returned from three loan spells at the start of 2022/23 before emerging as a major factor in the club’s title challenge.

Saliba is a generational centre-back talent. I don’t think you can dispute that. There are very few defenders in the game that combine frightening recovery speed and silky ball-playing to the degree the Frenchman does. His integration into Arteta’s starting XI allowed Arsenal to play a higher defensive line and thus suffocate the opposition in their own half which allowed the Gunners to dominate the majority of contests Saliba was involved in.

And while there were signs of a defensive demise before his season-ending back injury, there’s no doubt that his absence crippled Arsenal down the stretch. Without Saliba’s recovery speed and efficient build-up work, the Gunners were forced to play deeper and the scope they had to outright dominate matches shrunk.

Aged just 22, Saliba is bound to garner interest from Europe’s behemoths for years to come, and some were perhaps a little concerned that a Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain could take advantage of his precarious contract situation at Arsenal. The Frenchman’s deal was set to expire in 2024, and while there was talk of positive negotiations, nothing was set in stone regarding an extension.

But then that beautiful man we like to call ‘Orny’ dropped the update supporters had been longing for on Saturday morning. Saliba. Contract. 2027. BOMBA.

Saliba’s new deal keeps him on the club’s books for another three years, and the extension may well be the most important bit of business Arsenal conduct this summer even if they snag their desired targets in several key positions. While there are alternate options to Rice and Caicedo, there’s only one William Saliba.

We cannoh replace him.