William Saliba Reveals Why He Rejected Real Madrid to Commit Long-Term Future to Arsenal

Arsenal defender William Saliba has revealed he turned down interest from Real Madrid to extend his stay in North London — stating his desire to “win a lot of trophies” with the Gunners was the driving force behind his decision.

The 24-year-old French international recently signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal, keeping him at the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2030. Although his previous deal was set to run until 2027, Spanish giants Real Madrid had been closely monitoring his situation.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Olympiacos on Wednesday, Saliba explained why staying at Arsenal was a clear choice.

“To be honest, I was not thinking about clubs from the outside. I wanted to stay here for more years,” said Saliba. “I was not focused on the other clubs. I’m focused on my club.”

When asked about the contrasting move of Trent Alexander-Arnold — a lifelong Liverpool supporter who joined Real Madrid this past summer — Saliba made his motivations clear.

“He won some titles with Liverpool. With me, I didn’t win anything here except the Community Shield,” he admitted. “I want to stay here and win a lot of trophies. I love this club. I couldn’t leave without giving something back. I’ve won nothing — I want to stay here and win.”

Saliba’s renewal marks another key move by Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, who has already overseen new contracts for Gabriel Magalhães, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly during a busy summer of squad retention.

With his long-term future secured, Saliba remains central to Mikel Arteta’s plans as Arsenal aim to challenge for major silverware both domestically and in Europe this season.