Arsenal have been left staggered by William Saliba 's wage demands as they look to tie the defender down to a new contract.
The Frenchman has excelled in his first season at the Emirates, becoming the club's defensive leader as they finished second to surpass all expectations. Arsenal want to reward Saliba with a new deal and bolster his current £40,000-a-week wages, which make him one of the squad's lower earners.
Those at the Emirates are ready to offer Saliba a deal worth three times his current salary, which they thought would be sufficient, as they look to secure his long-term future. But the figure in the defender's mind is far beyond that and could yet force Arsenal into selling as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
PSG, according to The Sun, are waiting in the wings and, given their wealth, would be able to pay Saliba whatever it takes to lure him to the Parc des Princes. Mikel Arteta remains adamant that the 22-year-old is part of his long-term plans and won't be sold.
Saliba's stock in his homeland is immensely high having come through the ranks at St Etienne, before Arsenal paid £27m to sign him in 2019. He struggled for years to make an impact with Arteta sending Saliba out on loan for spells at the likes of Nice and Marseille.
An injury to Saliba coincided with Arsenal's dip in form at the back end of the season, which eventually saw them surrender a comfortable lead at the top and hand Manchester City the title. Saliba missed the last 11 games but the club's medical staff don't believe surgery is needed and hope to have him back by pre-season.
Arteta said back in May: "We want to keep our best talent. Especially the players that deserve some recognition. I think he has been incredible since he came back from his loan period and we want to reward him, that is for sure. We will find the right moment to do that."
Arsenal were recently able to get a deal for Bukayo Saka over the line and attention has now turned to retaining Saliba's services. The defender has previously spoken fondly about his life with the Gunners, despite his reported desire for more wages.
He said in March: “I am so happy here. The club is speaking with my agent and me, the only thing I can do is (focus on my football). I am so happy here.”
