'The door is open' - Saliba tipped for Real Madrid transfer

William Saliba France 2026 World Cup

France legend Marcel Desailly believes William Saliba's rise to becoming the "best defender in the world" at Arsenal makes a future move to Real Madrid inevitable. The former Chelsea star insists "the door is open" for Saliba to join the Spanish giants, and has ranked him above Gunners team-mate Gabriel in terms of overall quality.

Desailly makes Madrid prediction

The 25-year-old has been a cornerstone of the Gunners' backline, helping Mikel Arteta's side secure a historic Premier League title last season.

Speaking to Sportscasting, Desailly made it clear that he sees the Bernabeu as the natural next destination for his compatriot. "Yes, yes. I do expect William Saliba to one day wear the colours of Real Madrid," Desailly said. "He’s committed to Arsenal for the next, I don’t know, four years. But he’s young, so why not? The door is open, and all the best players want to play for Real Madrid at some point in their careers. The door is open. But not now. Not now. He is the best central defender, so it is what it is today."

FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-ARSENAL

Saliba vs Van Dijk

Desailly, a former Chelsea captain, was asked to rank the best centre-backs in world football and pointed to Saliba as the standout performer, even placing him ahead of Liverpool icon Virgil van Dijk. The Frenchman noted that while Van Dijk remains a top player, he has shown signs of fallibility in recent seasons.

"Who do I think is the best centre-back in the world? It’s not Virgil van Dijk," Desailly explained. "He has his level, we know; there’s no doubt he’s a great defender. But on some occasions, he has shown a little bit of weakness. It’s also probably due to his past injury; in 1v1 situations, he is no longer exceptional like he was before, though he’s still a great player."

Saliba rated above rivals

Desailly went further in his assessment, dismissing the credentials of centre-backs at several of Europe's other leading clubs when compared to Saliba's level. The 1998 World Cup winner argued that no rival currently playing for Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan or AC Milan comes close to matching the Frenchman's consistency and defensive output.

"I would put William Saliba there; even though he has some problems with his back, I think he's in the conversation for the world's best centre-back," Desailly said. "Saliba is definitely one of the best ones. Gabriel is only there because of Saliba – so Gabriel, no, he's not in the conversation. Who else can we say? At Manchester United, there's nothing. Chelsea, not at that level. Inter Milan, AC Milan, absolutely not."

Ibrahima Konate Real Madrid GFX

New defenders for Madrid

Madrid had previously been linked with a move for Saliba before the French centre-back penned a contract extension with Arsenal last year. Now, the Merengues have successfully secured the services of another French defender, completing the signing of Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer following the expiration of his Liverpool contract. Despite Konate's arrival, the club remains actively in the market for another elite central defender, with interest reported in Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck.

In addition to Konate, Jose Mourinho’s side have completed a stellar double swoop to reinforce their squad ahead of the new campaign. The Bernabeu hierarchy pulled off a massive coup by snapping up Bernardo Silva on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City, while simultaneously finalising a blockbuster €55 million deal to sign left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.