Arsenal have opened new talks with William Saliba to tie him down with interested parties monitoring his situation and reward the defender after an impressive start to the season.
The 21-year-old has hit the ground running since making his Premier League debut at the start of this season and has gone on to win seven of his first eight games, keeping three clean sheets and scoring two goals.
Saliba has been one of the most impressive defenders so far this season but only has two years left on his current deal after signing for the Gunners in 2019 for £27m from Saint-Etienne. Having stalled in previous talks over the summer, with Saliba waiting to be shown he would get a first-team chance this season, new talks are now in play, according to the Evening Standard.
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After a key role in stopping Harry Kane against Tottenham in the North London Derby on Saturday afternoon, Saliba said, "Yeah, we will see [about his contract]. They [Arsenal and my agent] talk a little bit. [When I spoke with Arteta in the summer], he talked about my last season, and he explained the project for this season.
"You have to wait every time, and I wait a long time for my first north London derby. I enjoyed it since the first minute to the end, and now I am so happy."
The seven-time capped Frenchman was the Ligue 1 young player of the year award last season, an accolade won by current stars Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni. With reported interest in Saliba from Chelsea, Atletico Madrid. AC Milan and Marseille, Arsenal won't want to let the contract drag on into the final 18-months of his deal as pressure is mounted and circling clubs become more active.
For now, Saliba will have to remain focused on his so far stellar work on the pitch as Arsenal face a fast-paced and furious six weeks before the winter World Cup in France. Saliba will be desperate to force himself to with a late surge for a starting spot in Didier Deschamps' squad that is heavily populated in defence.
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