David Ornstein gives latest contract update on star man and it is worrying

Arsenal will soon have to make a crucial decision regarding William Saliba. There is a major concern over Saliba’s contract, which expires in 2024, following the latest update on a possible extension.

Edu, Arsenal’s technical director, has prioritised tying down the futures of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Saliba this season. While Martinelli’s extension has been confirmed, talks for Saka’s new contract are ongoing. However, there is currently no indication that negotiations for Saliba’s contract are taking place.

David Ornstein, for The Athletic, provided updates on Saliba’s situation regarding his return from injury and contract talks.

During a recent FIVE podcast, Ornstein stated,

“They have a key player who has a body to look after and to prepare for next season and get back in the right shape. He’s 22 years old, and I think they’ve got to be very cautious. There’s also a bigger picture to avoid potentially causing long-term damage by rushing him back or him rushing himself back. So it’s very bad news for Arsenal and Saliba.”

“There is also a bigger picture in that he is out of contract in the summer of 2024,” Ornstein continued. “We’ve seen [Gabriel] Martinelli sorted, and there is an agreement with [Bukayo] Saka that hasn’t, to our knowledge, been signed or announced yet. Then it comes to Saliba. We haven’t heard anything to suggest there is an agreement close or in place yet for that.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

The club really does need to sort these contracts out, especially Saliba’s. He is integral to the Arsenal team going forward and the idea of losing him is simply unthinkable.

With Ornstein confirming that no agreement is close it really is a worry, hopefully, something gets sorted in the summer and we can avoid a protracted contract saga that has happened before.

Watch – Arteta refuses to give up on title after Man City defeat – “There are still 5 games to play, it’s not over…”

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Tags William Saliba

24 Comments

  1. This one is a little frustrating, maybe we should just trade him with Real Madrid for Aurelien Tchouameni.

    I will only be convinced by this kid when he signs on the dotted line.

  2. His absence last season saw up capitulate at the tail end

    His presence has season saw us at the top of the table going into the run-in

    His injury is making us capitulate again

    I fully expect him to sign. But if he doesn’t, it will be because of the way he was treated earlier in his Arsenal career. Some on here even said Arteta sent him on loam because he’s a primadonna. Good gracious!!!

    1. You are exactly on point dgr8xt. Saliba never felt loved by Arteta in the first place. How many times was he loaned out? He made his headlines in France last season Bt Arteta still never liked him until there was mounting pressure from the Arsenal fans. So I suspect the there isn’t much chemistry between Saliba and the coach. So the player does not really feel at home.

      1. I don’t believe that for a second. Is it not possible that he made headlines in France because Saliba was then ready to take the next step?

        1. Sue
          Saliba mad a lot of headlines in France even before Arteta came. His quality was there for all to see. Our ernest prayers is that he signs, and I believe he will. But if he decides to leave, I will certainly blame the manager

          1. Yes, he came to Arsenal before Arteta and is still only 22 which means he was most unlikely to be ready to play- being sent back to France to assist his development. Arteta did admit he should have given WS a chance in the Europa league. It’s easy to forget that Arteta was at the beginning of his career back then

      2. I disagree.
        This narrative is mischievous, malicious and dishonest. It serves no useful purpose for supposed fans to be pushing this kind of agenda. Where is the evidence that it was fans pressure that made Arteta play Saliba?
        It is surely in the best interests of Arsenal for us to keep Saliba. This would include Arteta who has played him this season whenever he has been available.
        Also, since when did loaning a player out equate to disliking him?

        1. I believe that if you had been following Arsenal blogs and online posts closely, you would understand that fan pressure played a part in Saliba playing this season. We say Saliba was too young then to play for our team in the EPL but Tavares and Lokonga were not. £50m Ben White who came in a his replacement was only 2 yrs older. I’m not trying to dig up old stuff, but I’m just saying that if in the unlikely event (and we all hope not) that Saliba doesn’t sign, the major reason would have been because of how he had been treated. I will blame the manager

        2. David you are spot on too many over reacting fans as usual. The pressure is coming from media and fans and Arteta has a huge task to gain trust. We are Arsensl and the real fans believe in Arteta. Let’s keep faith with him he’s brought us to another level.

  3. Saliba and Arteta have an excellent relationship.
    The loans were required for his development
    He has developed well under his tutelage.
    They have said nothing but positive things about each other this season. I fully expect him to renew.

    1. I don’t think the loaning out was an insult to the boy as I believe putting him in our academy team was a bit insulting esp given the personnel that was supposedly ahead of him. Did not take him long to look very talented when given his chance, I hope he stays with us

      1. I agree.
        However, as you can see some poisonous so-called fans have decided to resurrect a campaign of negativity based on nothing more than personal biases and conspiracy theories.
        Many of them are those who believed we had little chance of making the CL this season. They are now out in force making all sorts of claims because of recent setbacks.
        Saliba is 22 and already looks like he has the potential to be one of the world’s great defenders. It is natural that a number other clubs would want his signature. For all Arsenal’s history there are other big clubs with greater past and recent success so skilful negotiation will be required.

  4. Arsenal have been trying for months to tie Saliba down but i am afraid he has scars of his past treatment to get over. He got some high profile suitors in France and Europe and his agent spoke to other teams because they felt badly treated. Like it or not, that is fact. Saliba will not be easy to tie down.

    1. Agree Reggie and there were many of us on JA saying exactly that at the time.
      I do, however, take comfort in the way Saliba seems to gel with the other players and what he says about the club, including the fans during the game.
      We can only cross our fingers and hope he signs.

    2. Saliba performed well in France 2 straight years on loan. It’s a different league, but the players quality is there and doesn’t change.

      Imaging telling Saliba he’s not ready, but thinking Vieira was ready this year. Or thinking Nketiah is ready and paying him 100k per week.

      I understand CB is a different position, but make no mistake, Saliba is as important to our defense as Saka and Martinelli are to our offense.

  5. My view remains that this is mischievous and malicious.
    There are many players who have left Arsenal for all sorts of reasons. The same has happened at other clubs. Also players have been loaned etc. or come in and not performed to expectations and then moved on.
    The straightforward reasons for Saliba playing now is that it was quite clear he was playing well last season, came back to the club, was assessed as being fit, performed well in training, and played well during the pre-season. These have been obvious to anyone following his progression over the last couple of seasons.
    Suggesting that the manager only became aware of Saliba’s ability and potential due to fans’ blogs is just silly.

    1. Agree with your last paragraph as well – but your forgetting that MA left him out of every squad and encouraged him to find the club he wanted to be loaned out to… according to the player himself that is.
      Hardly a vote of confidence!!!

      1. Ken
        Some people seem to think it’s a cheap shot or unfair to question Arteta on this issue.

        However I choose to see it as a rookie manager starting out, who 2 years ago miscalculated and misjudged a player and situation.

        It’s not a dig at Arteta, but a learning curve every new manager goes through. Nketiah getting the rumored 100k and idle on the bench every week can’t be helping the wage discussion either.

        1. That just about sums it up perfectly Durand.
          Let’s hope Saliba doesn’t bear grudges, because I’m sure he realizes that he is hot property at the moment.

  6. Saliba will leave, he did not have Artetas trust and was forced out on loan and left not even in he squad his first season.

    I doubt he trusts Arteta after he was treated poorly

    1. Truth is he didnt trust Arteta, he did want to leave, he himself said, he wasn’t given a chance to prove himself. Wether he thinks differently now, i dont know.

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