Mikel Arteta hails William Saliba’s Arsenal extension: ‘He’s been instrumental in everything we’ve done’

Few clubs know the destabilising impact of interest from football’s hyper clubs quite as well as Arsenal do. Even at the peak of their powers between 1997 and 2005 barely a summer passed in which they were not having to fend off interest in their Invincibles. 

When, as a player, Mikel Arteta first arrived from Everton on deadline day in 2011 he found a dressing room rocked by the twin exits of Barcelona-bound Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, the latest in a long line of players to trade the Emirates for the Etihad. During his five years at the club there was rarely a period when there was not drama over a contract, whether it be Theo Walcott or even his manager Arsene Wenger. If that continual sense of crisis eased early in the 2020s that was perhaps merely a reflection that — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang aside — there weren’t many at Arsenal who would have takers at the peak of the game.

That is not the case now, and yet William Saliba’s five year extension, set to be announced by Arsenal in the coming days, has been agreed without any real fuss. That is despite what Arteta all but acknowledged on Friday afternoon for the first time. Real Madrid had been lurking in the background, ready to pounce for the outstanding young center back in the game when his contract drifted into its final months. 

Word frequently emerged from the Spanish press and from influencers that Madrid viewed Saliba as a dream future addition. You could see the moves from the playbook that had been applied in the pursuit of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger. Make your interest inescapable. Emphasise that the money isn’t there for a transfer fee. Convince a player that when the final six months of his contract was upon him, Madrid’s offer would be there.

The “noise”, as Arteta put it, merited discussion. The Arsenal manager loved what he heard.

“When you hear that noise and you can understand certain expectations, at the end players have feelings, having educated as well in their families, maybe dreaming about something one day and that’s a really natural thing to have,” Arteta told CBS Sports. “When I sat down with William and I asked him the question, he said ‘No, I want to stay here, I want to play for you and I’m very happy’ in his own way so that’s great to hear.”

Asked directly if his conversations with Saliba had been in relation to Madrid’s interest, Arteta insisted that he was talking in general terms. Still he himself had to acknowledge that even a general conversation about Saliba’s future is not that different to a conversation about whether he might move to Madrid, one of a handful of teams who could both afford, and theoretically tempt, Saliba.

“It was obvious [from] the amount of noise that it was around certain clubs, we don’t have to name many teams but there are not as many that can come and get Willy out from Arsenal. It so it was clear and again he was so transparent and honest from the beginning.”

Confirmation yesterday that Saliba would soon be reupping might explain why there was such a spring in Arteta’s step ahead of what otherwise might be a nerve-inducing trip to Newcastle. It is not so long ago that the mere mention of the French center back might cause his manager to visibly tense up, Saliba’s excellent performances on loan at Marseille prompting not just delight in Arsenal supporters but questions over why their manager had not kept him in north London.

With their working relationship potentially extended through to 2030, Arteta was candid in acknowledging that there had been issues with Saliba in years past. Evidently they have been blown away, no wonder when his No.2 has been the key cog in what is the best defense in football.

“He’s been instrumental in everything we’ve done in the last few years,” said Arteta. “It’s great to see a lot of players willing and so thriving to come into the club. That means that they are happy, they feel valued, and they see that this is the best opportunity for them to continue their careers and fulfil the ambition of the club.

“It’s very impressive what he’s done at his age, because sometimes we tend to forget. His consistency, the way he’s progressed, I think the way he’s matured as well as a person and his role in the team has grown year after year [is impressive]. He’s built a partnership with [Gabriel Magalhaes] especially, but with the backline and the keeper that has given him the best defensive record in the last three years and he’s been pivotal to that.”

Has Saliba exceeded Arteta’s first expectations? “I would say [so], especially the way we started our relationship when probably we had different expectations or ideas of how we had to start to create the best pathway for him to fulfil his potential. 

“I think at some point we got to the same conclusion, to the same line, we started to work together and from there, with the help of all the coaches and players, everything started to flourish because it was clear that the potential was there. It was about timing and especially, in my opinion, creating the right environment and players for him to deliver what he could do.”

Saliba follows Gabriel in the trio of key players out of contract in 2027 who have signed a long term extension (Gabriel Martinelli’s terms also expire in less than two years but Arsenal hold a 12 month extension option). Up next is Bukayo Saka, the homegrown superstar from Hale End who has unfinished business until this team win major honors.

“I would love that,” Arteta told CBS Sports when asked if he might soon have news to share on Saka’s future. “From everything that I know, again he’s a player that is extremely happy and proud to be and to have the role that he has in the football club. Things will develop in a natural way, like they always do, and everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us, so hopefully we can do it.”

Get that finalised and Arsenal will have all their most important figures locked up until 2028 at least. Well, all bar one. Perhaps the next time Arteta will be in as genial a mood as he was this afternoon it will be because he has extended off his own terms, due to expire in less than two years.