CaughtOffside reported this week that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich are all monitoring Arsenal defender William Saliba.
Even though it’s unlikely the Gunners will part with Saliba, especially with his contract running until 2027, they’d only entertain offers of €120 million or more.
PSG seem to be gearing up to bolster its defense under manager Luis Enrique. They’ve already brought in Willian Pacho, but he might just be the start of a larger plan to revamp its center-back lineup.
With Marquinhos now in his 30s, Lucas Hernandez coming back from a severe injury, and Milan Skriniar not expected to be part of the club’s long-term plans, Pacho and Lucas Beraldo are showing promise as the younger talents in the squad.
Nonetheless, one stat points out the qualities that Saliba has and why these three teams have their eyes on Saliba. According to WhoScored, Saliba has made more last-man tackles than any other player in the Premier League since the beginning of last season, with a total of five.
William Saliba has made more last-man tackles than any other player in the Premier League since the start of last season (5). 🚧 pic.twitter.com/hETbdsPhzX
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) September 13, 2024
Even though PSG has brought in more young French talent over the past two years, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Johnson believes that neither the reigning Ligue 1 champions nor any other team is likely to pry Saliba away from his Premier League club.
“For the moment, I can’t see anyone going in for Saliba while he remains such a key part of that Arsenal project, but depending on what happens this season, who knows, perhaps a scenario could develop that presents an opportunity for one of these top European clubs to sound out his situation,” Johnson noted.
Photo credit: BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images
