French center-back William Saliba has opened up on the motivation behind his decision to renew his Arsenal contract amid speculations of a potential future move to Real Madrid.
Saliba, whose previous contract was due in the summer of 2027, was linked with a move to the Spanish capital throughout the latest transfer window. However, the France international has now put to bed any doubts about his commitment to Arsenal by extending his contract until 2030.
Following the announcement of his contract extension, Saliba was asked by reporters about the links to Real Madrid and whether he was keen to follow in the footsteps of English full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who recently left Liverpool to join the Spanish giants.
In his response, Saliba explained why a departure from Arsenal is not not on the cards for him currently, revealing that his lack of major silverware with the Gunners is something he’s looking to change before considering anything in the realm of leaving for another club.
“He [Trent Alexander-Arnold] won some titles with Liverpool. Me? I didn’t win anything here except [the] Community Shield,” Saliba said.
I’ve done nothing for this club to think about leaving. I want to stay here and win a lot of trophies, I love this club so I cannot leave without giving them something back. I won nothing, so my first choice was to stay here and win everything first.”
One of the trophies Saliba will be aiming to win at Arsenal is the UEFA Champions League where the Gunners are set to square up against Greek champions Olympiacos on Wednesday night. Saliba will be making his 141st appearance across all competitions for Arsenal if he features in that game.
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