Arsenal defender William Saliba(Image: Getty Images)

Antonio Rudiger sends dream William Saliba transfer message amid Real Madrid links

William Saliba has emerged as one of the best defenders in world football after impressing for Arsenal over the last couple of years

04 Oct 2024, 18:00 by Kieran King · football.london

Antonio Rudiger has revealed that he would sign William Saliba for Real Madrid. The two-time Champions League winner showed his admiration for the Arsenal defender and said it would be his dream signing for Los Blancos.

Saliba has been a revelation for the Gunners since returning from his loan spell at Marseille ahead of the 2022/23 season. He made 33 appearances during his first full campaign with the Arsenal first-team squad before missing the final eight weeks with a back issue - an injury that proved to be critical in their bid for the Premier League title.

The 23-year-old recovered from that problem and played in all but two matches for the Gunners across all competitions last season. As a reward for another excellent campaign, Saliba was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the second successive season. Unfortunately for Arsenal, it wasn't enough to get them over the line and win their first top-flight title for 21 years.

Arsenal have conceded just six goals in nine matches this season, with Saliba and defensive partner Gabriel helping the Gunners keep another shut out in a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. And now, former Chelsea star Rudiger has shown his appreciation for Saliba.

When asked what defender he would sign for Real Madrid, Rudiger replied: "I say William Saliba. I'm very happy with my centre-back partner [Eder] Militao because he also came from a big injury and he's getting back to his best, but there's so many games, so we would rotate. To have Saliba... it would be great."

This comes after Saliba had been linked with a move to Real over the summer. Football Transfers reported last month that Los Blancos would be willing to offer a player to sweeten the deal, and Rodrygo has been suggested as a potential option, but Arsenal are not open to selling for any price.

It was added that Real are expected to 'sit down' with Saliba in the coming months to try and tie him down to a lucrative new contract, with his current deal expiring in 2027. Saliba is said to be fully committed to Arsenal and is focused on bringing silverware back to the Emirates this season.

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