Champions League football is already in the bag for the Gunners.

Champions League football is already in the bag for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta has another defensive problem (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have been dealt another defensive injury blow with Jurrien Timber set to undergo surgery on an ankle injury.

Timber was not included in the matcday squad for Sunday&#8217…

Another injury concern for Arteta.

Another injury concern for Arteta.

William Saliba has attracted interest from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid still view Arsenal centre-back William Saliba as their dream target despite being close to finalising a deal for Dean Huijsen.

The Spanish giants have mad…

Emmanuel Petit fears two more Arsenal stars will leave the club if Real Madrid manage to prise William Saliba away from the Gunners.

Saliba, 24, has emerged as a transfer target for Real Madrid ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Frenchman has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world over the past three seasons and has reportedly not ruled out a move to the Bernabeu.

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Petit says losing Saliba would be a ‘step back’ for the club and render any summer additions pointless.

Mikel Arteta is expected to bolster his Arsenal squad with several new signings this summer but Petit says those additions would be futile if key defender Saliba was to depart.

Petit believes Saliba’s possible transfer exit would also make players like Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice question their future at the Emirates Stadium.

‘I’ve been reading things about Arsenal selling William Saliba to Real Madrid,’ Petit told talkSPORT. ‘I’m thinking, “what the hell?”

‘You want to bring in strikers, wingers, and then you sell your best defender? What’s the point? It’s a step back if you do that.

‘The first step for Arsenal needs to be to keep their best players.

‘If you start selling your best players, starting from Saliba, there’s no way that players like Saka and Rice… they will think, “what the hell? What are we doing?”‘

The possibility of Arsenal and England star Rice leaving the Gunners was raised by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher at the weekend.

Asked whether Rice may consider his options after Arsenal went a fifth successive season without a trophy, he said on Sky Sports: ‘I don’t think there will be any thoughts like that right now.

‘I think the Arsenal players all feel they’re really close. They are very close, but we all know as players the final step is the biggest one.

‘In terms of Declan, I think he’s been Arsenal’s best player this season. I’m not saying he’d give it another 12 months, but I think those doubts maybe kick in in another 12 months.

‘I don’t think right now [Rice will be doubting his future]. It might be a little bit different for somebody like a [William] Saliba, who has been there a little bit longer and is desperate to get his hands on some silverware.’

Arsenal captain Odegaard ‘physically and mentally tired’

Another issue for Arteta is his captain Martin Odegaard’s dip in form throughout the 2024-25 campaign.

Petit was ‘frustrated’ by Odegaard’s performances and says he looked ‘physically and mentally tired’.

‘I don’t know about the captaincy, but I know that Martin Odegaard had a very, very good season both last season and the season before that,’ Petit BesteOnlineCasinoNederland.

‘I think he was one of the best players at Arsenal which made this season very frustrating, for him, but also for the fans and for different reasons.

‘I think the fact that Bukayo Saka didn’t play for four months had a big impact on his game. I think he looked tired as well.

‘I come back to the rotation of the team, but when you play every three days, you need to get rotated sometimes, especially during the second part of the season.

‘I think he looked tired, physically and mentally and he was missing Saka as well on the pitch. The fact he’s the only creative midfielder is a huge responsibility on his shoulders.

‘And the fact he’s the captain, he has to show all the time that he’s among the best players on the pitch. So for different reasons, he didn’t reach the level, the expectations.

‘It’s been a very frustrating season so far for him, because when you look at the PSG games, he didn’t have an impact, you know, on both games as well.

‘There are still two games to play. The most important is the next one against Newcastle. The least he can do is lead the team to victory and into the Champions League.’

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‘Saliba gets caught in no man’s land!’

‘Saliba gets caught in no man’s land!’

Arsenal are braced for approaches from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid are ‘considering’ signing another Arsenal star after potentially bringing William Saliba to the Bernabeu.

The La Liga giants have reportedly made …

Arsenal are braced for approaches from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid are ‘considering’ signing another Arsenal star after potentially bringing William Saliba to the Bernabeu.

The La Liga giants have reportedly made …

Andrea Berta has responded to Real Madrid’s attempts to unsettle William Saliba by earmarking him as a priority transfer target.

The Arsenal transfer chief is facing a monumental summer during which he will be expected to oversee a largescale rebuilding project as well as tie the club’s key players to new long-term deals.

France international Saliba is regarded as one of Mikel Arteta’s crown jewels but the prospect of him leaving has been raised as a consequence of a contract that expires in 2027 and the prospect of another trophyless season.

The Real PR machine has been cranking up in recent weeks with Marca branding the 24-year-old as the ‘chosen one’, charged with the responsibility of underpinning a new-look defence.

Having been eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage and looking likely to finish below Barcelona in La Liga, the Spanish giants are keen to inject some new blood in the heart of their defence with both Antonio Rudiger now 32 and Eder Militao recovering from a second cruciate knee ligament injury in the space of 12 months.

Berta, meanwhile, is well versed in the mechanics of Real’s transfer strategy as a consequence of his time with Atletico and, according to L’Équipe, is far from panicked by their public courtship.

Indeed, the new Arsenal sporting director, who took over from Edu last month, has instigated fresh contract talks with a player who is currently minded to stay with the club he supported as a boy.

Fresh contract talks have already begun and Arsenal remain hopeful that Saliba will commit his future to Arsenal.

Speaking about his own future ahead of last month’s Champions League tie against the clue who covet him, Saliba said: ‘I am really happy here.

‘I want to continue here. Not yet [talks over a new deal], there is no rush. I am happy here. That’s it.’

Arteta, meanwhile, attempted to play down any suggestion Saliba could be tempted by a move to the Spanish capital when he spoke ahead of last weekend’s defeat against Bournemouth.

‘Those kind of things are more for Andrea and the club to talk about,’ he said.

‘What I’m certain, because I had the conversation with him, is that he is so happy here, that he wants to continue with us and what will happen in the future with our negotiations and things that have to take time and process and be on top of them.

‘But I’m quite confident that William is very happy here and that’s the place that he wants to be.’

The Gunners have been forced to scour the market for possible replacements.

It’s not looking good for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta says William Saliba is ‘so happy’ at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta insists William Saliba is ‘so happy’ at Arsenal after the defender was linked with a transfer to Real Madrid this week.

Spanish newspaper Marca…

William Saliba insists the ‘tie is not over’ after Arsenal were beaten by PSG (Canal Plus)

William Saliba admits Arsenal struggled to cope with Ousmane Dembele during their 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions Lea…

William Saliba is top of Real Madrid’s defensive shortlist for the summer transfer window (Getty)

Real Madrid have made Arsenal centre-back William Saliba their primary defensive target for the summer transfer window, according to re…

‘I think I am one of the best…’

Michael Owen says he ‘feels sorry’ for William Saliba after his mistake in Arsenal’s draw vs Crystal Palace (Premier League Productions)

Michael Owen believes William Saliba will be furious with David Raya over Jean-Phili…

Arsenal’s focus is back on the Premier League today.

It was a night to remember for Arsenal in Madrid.

‘He can do everything!’

‘He can do everything!’

Arsenal would be devastated to lose him.