Barcelona have an ambitious plan to sign one of Arsenal’s best players in the next three years.
Mikel Arteta has built a truly marvellous squad at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have world-class players in multiple positions on the pitch, and they are all attractive options for other big clubs.
Barcelona are no longer the side they once were. They have been in deep financial trouble for a few years now, and that has stopped them from making huge signings.
However, there is now some fresh hope about the future for the Spanish giants, who are planning to make a big move to sign an Arsenal player in the coming seasons.
Barcelona’s plan to sign William Saliba from Arsenal in three years
Arsenal star William Saliba is the best defender in the Premier League.
The Frenchman joined the Gunners from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019, when Unai Emery was the manager. He didn’t get to make his debut until the first game of the 2022/23 season, but since then, he has been unbelievable.
Saliba, branded as a ‘superstar’ by Danny Murphy, is one of the first names on Arsenal’s team sheet every week. He has cemented a starting place in the French national team as well.
We’re sure every club in the world would love to have Saliba in their side, and Football Transfers have revealed that Barcelona are one of them.
The Catalans want to return to being one of the best clubs in the world, and to do that, they will need to sign the best players.
So, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has struck a kit deal with Nike worth around £127 million (€150m) a year, and he believes that will help him sign two massive players – Erling Haaland and Saliba.
The report claims that Barcelona see Saliba ‘as a long-term solution’ to their defensive options, but their chances of signing him are small because Arsenal view him ‘a cornerstone of their future’.
READ MORE: William Saliba shares what was ‘the biggest turning point’ in his career since joining Arsenal
Three things Arsenal need to do to keep Saliba
Arsenal, sadly, have a terrible history of retaining their best players.
We’ve seen Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez among others leave the club to go elsewhere over the years.
If huge clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid come calling, it’s only natural that Saliba will have a look at what they will offer. Arsenal simply cannot allow him to be tempted.
So, here are three things they can do to keep Saliba at the club for a long, long time:
- Win trophies: Every player in the world wants to win the biggest trophies. As long as they are doing that, they will be happy. For Arsenal to keep hold of Saliba, they should be aiming to win silverware every year.
- Contract: Saliba’s current contract at Arsenal expires in 2027. That’s still a long way to go, but Edu Gaspar should be ready to extend his deal before the defender gets anywhere near the final 18 months.
- Keep Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal manager has managed Saliba’s progression magnificently well. The defender completely trusts the Spaniard, and the report claims that as long as Arteta is at the helm, Saliba is unlikely to go anywhere.