A year ago
William Saliba's decision to extend his Arsenal contract amid interest from PSG seems to be the right one, as the French club look set to lose star players this summer.
Lionel Messi has confirmed that he will leave Parc des Princes when his contract expires this month to join the MLS franchise Inter Miami.
And according to French newspaper Le10Sport, PSG made a bold but unsuccessful bid to trade first-team stars Marco Verratti and Gianluigi Donnarumma for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva.
According to CBS Sports, there is also speculation about Neymar's future, with Saudi club Al Hilal flying to Paris to gauge the Brazilian's interest in a move.
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And then there's Kylian Mbappé. When the Frenchman had publicly expressed his desire to stay at the club for another season, he sent an official letter to the club's hierarchy confirming that he would not activate the option. a one-year extension on a contract that expires next summer.
PSG face the very real prospect of losing him on a free transfer, so if they don't sell or convince Mbappe to sign a new contract.
All the transfer speculation surrounding the French club only seems to justify Saliba's recent move.
Saliba Arsenal's decision turned out to be correct
On Saturday, The Athletic's David Ornstein reported that the France international defender had agreed a new contract with Arsenal until the summer of 2027.
The deal has yet to be officially signed, but both sides are now said to be in the paperwork phase of negotiations. A deal, at one point, seemed uncertain. The Daily Mirror reported last month that Arsenal were "shocked" by Saliba's wage demands, with the Frenchman still having 12 months left on his contract.
Meanwhile, PSG are keen to bring the 22-year-old back to France after a hugely successful debut season in the Gunners' first team.
The Sun claim that Les Parisiens are monitoring the centre-back and Arsenal are concerned about the potential salary PSG could offer Saliba compared to their offers.
But the Frenchman has finally reached an agreement to stay in north London - and Messi's departure, coupled with the potential departures of other key players, means the defender's commitment to Arsenal seems reasonable.
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