William Saliba wants to give ‘even more’ after signing a new long-term contract at Arsenal. The 24-year-old defender, who joined the Gunners from Saint-Etienne in July 2019 for £27m, had two years left on his previous deal before extending his stay to June 2030.
Saliba said: “I feel proud of myself because I first signed in 2019, and now in 2025, I’m still here to extend my contract. I’m so happy. I feel at home. We have a good team, we have a good squad, we have good staff. The coach is perfect for me, so it’s the best place to be.
“I enjoy every day when I have the chance to wear this shirt. I try to give everything, and now I’ll give even more to this club and to the fans.”
On the progress he’s made since making his debut against Crystal Palace three years ago, Saliba added: “When you sign, you dream of playing many games, but it comes so quickly. Before I signed, I didn’t realise that I would play a lot of games like this so it’s good and I want to play more.
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“When I signed, I went back to Saint-Etienne, and I came back and became a starter so a lot of things have happened, but I’m so proud of my journey. I never gave up, even in the tough moments.
“Of course, I wanted to play straight away, but I didn’t expect that it would be as good as it was. I played well, we almost won the league in the first season, and we almost won the league the season after as well.
“I’m happy now, but not 100% happy because we have to do more. We have to win titles, because it’s what we want, what the club wants. The boss is one of the best coaches in the world.
“He has helped me a lot, him and his staff, so I’m so happy to have them as a coach. I’m 24 now, and I think I haven’t reached my peak. I have a lot of things to improve, a lot of things to give to this team, and I know that the coach and the staff will help me to become the best, or one of the best, defenders in the world and win trophies.”
Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta were just as happy to get a deal over the line. The Arsenal boss said: “William is loved by all the players and staff, and that speaks volumes about his character, commitment and attitude every day.
“Since joining us, William has grown so much, embraced responsibility, and has created a strong connection with our supporters and everyone at the club. We know there is still so much to come from him and will continue to work together to keep improving with the clear ambition of winning major trophies.”
The Gunners’ sporting director added: “We’re so happy that William has committed his future to us to be part of what we’re building here. In the last three seasons, William has become an incredible defender whose composure, intelligence and physical presence make him one of the best in the world.
“He will continue his development with Arsenal to reach new heights. His consistency, maturity, and ability to influence matches will continue to be a big asset for us and we’re looking forward to many more great performances from him at the heart of our defence.”
football.london understands that Saliba believes Arsenal is the best club for him to achieve his goals of winning the greatest honours. Berta was heavily involved in recent talks with the France international, just as he was with the extensions of Gabriel Maghaeles, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
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