Arsenal star subject of staggering £80m offer from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain: Reports
French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly set to test Arsenal's resolve with a mouth-watering bid of £80 million for their star defender William Saliba. He has attracted interest from across Europe after impressive performances with the Premier League side.
Saliba joined Arsenal in 2019 from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne the season after he made his senior team debut in a deal reported to be worth £27 million. After multiple loan spells, he made his much-anticipated debut for the Gunners in August 2022 in the opening-day fixture against Crystal Palace.
The 23-year-old has since established himself as a mainstay in Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side, forming a solid partnership at the center of defense with Gabriel Magalhaes. He has made 96 appearances for the Gunners across competitions and scored five goals as well.
Saliba's solid performances with the club and national side have seen him attract interest from clubs across Europe. According to Fichajes.net, PSG are set to test Arsenal's resolve with a bid of £80 million. The bid is said to be an offer that is considered 'hard to refuse'. The French giants are keen on signing a central defender and have also targeted Barcelona's Jules Kounde as an option.
William Saliba urges Arsenal teammates to stick together
The Gunners have encountered a blip in their current season. No wins in their last three Premier League matches have seen them fall out of the UEFA Champions League spots. Amidst such form, Saliba has urged his team to stick together as the Gunners head into a big week with Inter Milan and Chelsea up next.
After their 1-0 loss at Newcastle United on November 2, Saliba admitted that they haven't played their best football. However, he called for the team to put the disappointment behind them ahead of a crucial week.
"We are a bit sad because we wanted to win here today. Unfortunately, we didn’t because I don’t think we played our best game. But we have to stick together and be ready for next week," Arsenal.com reported him as saying.
He spoke about using the match against Inter to get their confidence back.
"Next week we have two big games to come back with the win. I think we will do it if we give everything. [Inter is] a big game, if we win we have the confidence back and we have to do it. We all want to play big games like these," Saliba added.
The Gunners travel to San Siro to face Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 6 with both teams unbeaten in the competition after three match weeks.