Soccer 
Arsenal centre-back William Saliba is wanted by Real Madrid, who are prepared to smash records in order to land the France international defender.
Saliba, 23, has emerged as a key figure at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta and this status has regularly led to him being linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos desperately need to strengthen the middle of their defence, which has been prone to serious injuries in recent months. David Alaba has yet to play this season while Eder Militao has been plagued by problems for 18 months and faces another extended period out. With Nacho Fernandez having departed last summer on a free transfer, the Bernabeu side are lacking in cover.
Real Madrid have realised the need to invest in this area of their side and have turned towards Arsenal’s Saliba are their priority objective, according to Sport.
Real Madrid target Saliba in blockbuster deal
Arsenal do not intend to sell Saliba, but the Spanish source claims that a deal with Real Madrid is not impossible at the right price.
That figure would, however, be a record for a defender. Arsenal, after all, reportedly turned down a €95 million approach from PSG in the summer.
Sport claims that a deal could be struck in excess of €100 million – a record for a defender.
It adds that the presence of Kylian Mbappe, who grew up alongside Saliba in the Parisian suburb of Bondy, is an additional draw to the Arsenal star, who is open to a deal.
On top of this, Antonio Rudiger has also voiced his support for a move for the France ace.
Asked which centre-back he’d like to join him at Real Madrid, he said: “I’d say William Saliba.”
Saliba has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €79.5m, which makes him the most valuable defender in the world.
Who is the most expensive defender ever?
Josko Gvardiol is the most expensive centre-back in history, with Manchester City giving him this honour when he completed a €90m move from RB Leipzig in 2023.
Next comes Harry Maguire. Manchester United spent €87m to secure the services of the England star from Leicester in 2019, the same year that current Red Devils Matthijs de Ligt left Ajax to sign for Juventus in a €85.5m deal.
The 10 most expensive centre-backs of all time
| Player | Clubs | Fee | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josko Gvardiol | Leipzig to Man City | €90m | 2023 |
| Harry Maguire | Leicester to Manchester United | €87m | 2019 |
| Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax to Juventus | €85.5m | 2019 |
| Virgil van Dijk | Southampton to Liverpool | €84.65m | 2018 |
| Wesley Fofana | Leicester to Chelsea | €80.4m | 2022 |
| Lucas Hernandez | Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich | €80m | 2019 |
| Ruben Dias | Benfica to Manchester City | €71.6m | 2020 |
| Leny Yoro | Lille to Man Utd | €70m | 2024 |
| Matthijs de Ligt | Juventus to Bayern Munich | €67m | 2022 |
| Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Club to Manchester City | €65m | 2017 |
Source From: Football Transfer News Archive including Premier League & La Liga
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