Madrid: Real Madrid are planning to go big for Arsenal defender William Saliba in the summer transfer window, with a report revealing what the Gunners could do in the event of a bid from Los Blancos as a top Liverpool star has been backed to move to the Santiago Bernabeu along with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Apasport reports citing Teamtalk. One of the areas that Madrid need to address in the summer of 2025 is their defence. Eder Militao is injured at the moment, while Antonio Rudiger is 31 and David Alaba is 32 and has had injury issues of his own. Raul Asensio has looked promising, but he is still only 21. It has been so dire for Madrid this season that head coach Carlo Ancelotti has had to play Aurelien Tchouameni in central defence despite the Frenchman being a midfielder by trade.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Madrid have decided to sign a top-class defender in the summer of 2025 and have made Arsenal and France international star William Saliba ‘an absolute priority’. There were rumours last month that Madrid had already been in touch with Saliba’s entourage over a summer transfer, and now it is being reported in the French media that the defending Spanish and European champions are planning to go all out for the 23-year-old defender. The Gunners do not want to sell Saliba, who has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world and has been described as a ‘phenomenal’ and ‘aggressive’ player by Arsenal legend Martin Keown.

Arsenal will demand a huge transfer fee, and Madrid are aware that they will need to make a world-record bid and make Saliba the most expensive defender in history to get a deal done. Harry Maguire holds the record for being the most expensive defender in football history. Manchester United paid Leicester City £80 million for Maguire in the summer of 2019.