Arsenal have officially increased their offer for French defender William Saliba's contract, with the club hoping to finalise the extension before 2026 to avoid the player entering the transfer market during his contract year, Fabrizio Romano revealed on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Saliba came from the Saint-Étienne youth academy and joined Arsenal for €30 million in July 2019. He was subsequently loaned out to Saint-Étienne, Nice and Marseille until he established himself at Arsenal in the 2022/23 season.

Today, Saliba has grown into an indispensable member of Arsenal's defense. He has made 137 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 7 goals and providing 2 assists, winning 2 Community Shield titles with the team.

Saliba's current contract expires in 2027, but Arsenal has already initiated renewal negotiations. Fabrizio Romano stated in his personal blog that Arsenal considers Saliba a key target for a contract extension and has submitted a revised contract proposal to him in recent weeks. In addition to offering more favorable financial terms, Arsenal also plans to give Saliba greater leadership responsibilities to ensure he becomes a key player in the club's future projects.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is closely monitoring Saliba's contract renewal. They have included him on their wishlist, hailing him as the "Bellingham of defense." However, the initiative currently lies with Arsenal. Real Madrid will only make a move if Saliba refuses to renew his contract.