Arsenal star William Saliba makes Trent Alexander-Arnold claim when explaining Real Madrid snub
William Saliba insists he couldn't face leaving Arsenal without winning a major trophy after penning a new five-year deal with the Gunners. The Frenchman has snubbed interest from Real Madrid to stay put at the Emirates where he claims he has unfinished business.
When Saliba was asked why he was able to resist the lure of Los Blancos - given Trent Alexander-Arnold left boyhood club Liverpool for the Bernabeu - he replied confidently: "He won some titles with Liverpool. Me? I didn't win anything here except the Community Shield. I've done nothing with this club to think about leaving and I want to stay here and win a lot of trophies."
Mikel Arteta also shared his delight after tying down the 24-year-old to lucrative terms. The beaming Spaniard said of his colossal central defender: "It's big news, I'm very happy. Congratulations to Willy, he fully deserves this new contract, his contribution to the club and to the team has been phenomenal the last few years and I'm very happy to keep the spine of the team with us."
France international Saliba also confirmed he has now shaken off the ankle injury, sustained last month at Anfield, that has disrupted his start to the new season. The imperious France international has made it clear he is desperate to win trophies - so he can finally enjoy his summer holidays. Speaking ahead of Wednesday's Champions League group phase clash with Olympiacos, Saliba declared the club's gruelling wait for silverware cannot rumble on after committing his long-term future to the Gunners.
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Saliba said when asked if Arsenal have enough belief within their dressing room to become winners: "Yes, of course. I've been here for three years and every time at the end of the season when you finish second, you're a bit angry. You want to go on holiday and celebrate with your friends the trophies you won with your club. When you finish second and you go on holiday, it's not so good."
The frustration of missing out on the Premier League title in each of the past three seasons is not the only anger Saliba has experienced since joining Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019.
Saliba admits he was aggrieved to be sent out on loan to Nice in January 2021 - the second of three respective loan spells in his homeland - before his big breakthrough campaign in 2022.
The centre-back conceded he was sceptical whether he'd ever make the grade in north London, adding: "I arrived in 2020 and didn't play for six months, I then went on loan and of course, sometimes you have doubts. I thought 'maybe I'll never play for this club' but in the end, I told myself that I couldn't leave without playing.
"I was training and playing with the U21s and at the end of December, the club told me that it was better for me to go on loan rather than stay here and not play.
"I was angry because I needed to play but I didn't give up, I went on loan, played games, came back here and started almost every game. I'm so proud of myself, it proves you should never give up."
Saliba's adoration for Arsenal derives from his obsession with Gunners great and childhood idol Thierry Henry. The legendary striker's name was splashed across the back of the central defender's first-ever jersey.
Now he wants to emulate the achievements of his compatriot in N5, declaring: "With my first Arsenal shirt of Arsenal, he was on the back. For me, he was like a class player to watch, obviously he's French so when you're a French player and you play in a big club like Arsenal, I was following the team and him. I remember some clips, I was a bit young, so I don't have a lot of memories but I have this final against Barcelona when they almost won the Champions League in 2006."
His passion for the club runs deep and that is precisely why he had no interest in fielding calls from Real Madrid or any other interested parties. "To be honest, I was not really focused on the clubs from the outside, I was just focused on here," Saliba said. "I knew that I wanted to stay here for more years, so I was not really focused on the other clubs. So I'm happy to be here and to sign a new deal."
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta insists he's aware he's under pressure to deliver this season, stating: "Well I'm aware the moment I step in this chair that what I want with this club is to win major trophies, nobody else has to put that line into us, that's the ambition the first day and the excuses have never been part of my life."
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