---
title: "Arsenal: William Saliba contract talks underway"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/saliba-contract-talks-underway-dean-jones-arsenal/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "David Comerford"
section: "Arsenal News"
published: "2022-09-20T05:35:45Z"
modified: "2022-09-20T05:35:45Z"
---

# Arsenal: William Saliba contract talks underway

**[Arsenal](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/arsenal-fc-news/) have held ‘initial’ talks with William Saliba over a new contract, according to [transfer insider](https://twitter.com/DeanJonesSoccer) Dean Jones.**

### The lowdown

The Gunners paid [£27m](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/25/arsenal-sign-real-madrid-dani-ceballos-season-loan-unai-emery) to sign the centre-back from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 and loaned him back to the French club for the following season. He then spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign with Nice, before a season-long stint with Marseille last term.

The Frenchman has finally broken into the starting line-up at his parent club, with Mikel Arteta selecting him for the Gunners’ [first seven Premier League matches](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/william-saliba/leistungsdaten/spieler/495666) of the current campaign.

### The latest

Speaking to [GiveMeSport](https://www.givemesport.com/88060357-arsenal-27m-star-now-holding-initial-discussions-over-deal-at-the-emirates), Jones said that negotiations over a contract extension are underway and that an agreement on fresh terms seems to be ‘on the horizon’.

He said of Saliba’s Arsenal future: *“There have been some initial discussions about a longer deal.* *I don’t think the terms of that deal have been detailed just yet, but it is certainly one on the horizon.”*

### The verdict

It’s no surprise that Arsenal are already working to tie down Saliba to new terms. Currently taking home a reported £40,000 per week, he is [one of the lowest earners in the Gunners’ first-team squad](https://fbref.com/en/squads/18bb7c10/2022-2023/wages/Arsenal-Wage-Details), but that doesn’t reflect his contribution to the team’s success right now.

In terms of [expected goals against per 90](https://understat.com/league/EPL), Arsenal boast the second-best defensive record in the Premier League behind Manchester City, and Saliba has been a big part of that.

He is yet to be dribbled past in the league this season and has won 63% of his ground duels (via [SofaScore](https://www.sofascore.com/player/william-saliba/941168)). Furthermore, [no Arsenal outfielder](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/13/Show/England-Arsenal) can better his average of three accurate long passes per game, which shows that he very much contributes in possession too.

He has been called ‘[amazing](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-granit-xhaka-william-saliba-leicester-own-goal-b1018906.html)‘ by team-mate Granit Xhaka and a ‘[monster](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8659687/French-youth-coach-heaps-praise-William-Saliba-claims-defender-Raphael-Varanes-speed.html)‘ by France youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi.

With Arsenal [also working to tie down Bukayo Saka](https://www.givemesport.com/88059619-arsenal-138-game-star-now-very-close-to-internal-agreement-at-the-emirates) to a new deal, there could be some exciting contract announcements on the horizon at the Emirates Stadium.