Aheed Abrar
Manchester United enquired about William Saliba before Arsenal contract extension
Manchester United enquired about the availability of William Saliba before his contract extension with Premier League rivals Arsenal, according to RMC Sport (h/t Metro).
The France international’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of next season. Also, at the time, the Gunners were worried about the defender not putting pen to paper on fresh terms.
To that end, the 22-year-old’s situation was being monitored by the Red Devils. Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich were also interested in acquiring the centre-back’s services.
However, Saliba finally reached an agreement with the North London side. The French national has committed his future to Mikel Arteta’s team until June 2027.
Arsenal signed the defender in the summer of 2019 from Saint-Etienne. However, he did not get any game time at the Gunners before his loan spells at OGC Nice and Olympique Marseille.
However, the 22-year-old impressed Arteta during pre-season last summer and became a pivotal member for the North London side as they gave Manchester City a tough fight for the PL title. But the centre-back’s injury in March derailed their season.
United have a solid partnership at the back with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. The two were Erik ten Hag’s preferred duo in defence last season.
The Red Devils also have Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof at their disposal. However, the two have lost their influence in the tea and spent most of last season on the bench.
More Manchester United News
- VfL Wolfsburg playmaker Felix Nmecha on Manchester United radar
- Adrien Rabiot offered Juventus contract renewal amidst Manchester United interest
- Juventus star Wojciech Szczesny attracting ‘keen interest’ from Manchester United
While we seemingly have enough quality in defence for now, Saliba has shown a lot of potential. After his stint in France, the French national has gone on to prove himself in the English top flight. Therefore, it is not a surprise to see the Old Trafford side showing interest in the 22-year-old.
