Real Madrid contact £190k-a-week Arsenal star who's prepared to join them

Real Madrid have reached out to the representatives of an Arsenal star who’s now willing to join them, with Mikel Arteta’s side seemingly facing a serious threat from the La Liga heavyweights.

Arsenal players who are set to leave this summer

Arteta already faces the prospect of many different players leaving the Emirates this summer, and sporting director Andrea Berta will be tasked with reshaping the squad in their absence.

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The Gunners have conducted extensive background work on a forward, who may now be leaning towards a move to north London.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that up to 10 players could be leaving Arsenal when the window reopens, and we can already have a pretty good idea of who some might be.

Kieran Tierney has agreed a pre-contract to join Celtic, with Fabrizio Romano also sharing news this week that Jorginho is set to join Flamengo when his Arsenal contract expires in late June.

Arsenal also appear set to sell Oleksandr Zinchenko, in the event a suitable offer arrives (Graeme Bailey), while both Nuno Tavares and Albert Sami Lokonga will likely be on the chopping block as well, after spending 2024/2025 out on loan.

As things stand, Thomas Partey will depart the Emirates this summer, with Arsenal still yet to reach an agreement with the Ghanaian on fresh terms after opening talks recently.

He’s arguably enjoyed his finest season in north London since joining from Atlético Madrid in 2020, but ESPN reported in late April that Partey needs to take a pay-cut to remain at Arsenal, so it remains to be seen whether the 31-year-old will agree to those conditions.

There is also the matter of Real Madrid and their serious interest in star £190,000-per-week Arsenal defender William Saliba.

Real Madrid hold talks with Arsenal defender William Saliba

Los Blancos have been repeatedly linked with a move for Saliba, as Real are believed to be keen on reinforcing their central defensive options this summer.

According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Get Football News Spain, Real have opened talks with the 24-year-old’s camp and want him to be the “leader” of their new-look backline – either this summer or in 2026.

Saliba is also prepared to quit Arsenal for Real, and has named the Spanish giants as the only side he’d be willing to depart for.

The Gunners will be desperate not to lose one of their most crucial players, though, with Arsenal apparently set to demand as much as £85 million to let him go.

Saliba has formed an exceptional central defensive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes since the beginning of 2022/2023, and it is a pillar of the club’s recent on-field success.

For their part, Arsenal want to agree a new contract with Saliba to ward off Real, but with his contract expiring in 2027, they’re slowly running out of time. Keeping the France international is quite simply an imperative task for Berta, but Real are posing a very real threat.