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How Arsenal managed to keep Saliba despite Real Madrid lurking, and much more...

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William Saliba agrees new Arsenal contract in another big win for Andrea Berta

William Saliba has agreed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.

It’s tough to really state just how big a deal this is for Arsenal. It’s absolutely huge news and a massive, massive boost to the club.

Talks have been going on for months now between the club and Saliba’s representatives, with sporting director Andrea Berta having really taken a firm grasp on the negotiations following his appointment in March.

But they have really ramped up since the closure of the transfer window and now Berta and Arsenal have got the result they wanted.

The noises from the club during the talks were always positive and Saliba himself had stated that his desire was to stay. As Mark Brus recently reported here, the message was that both Saliba and Bukayo Saka were “100%” staying.

But with Real Madrid looming large in the background there was always a fear that this could become an issue that could drag on and become a bit of a distraction as his current contract started to tick down.

That is certainly what Madrid would have been wanting and pushing for.