Marcel Desailly has revealed he 'expects' William Saliba to move to Real Madrid after developing into the 'best defender in the world' at Arsenal. The former Chelsea captain believes the French centre-back is destined for the Bernabeu despite signing a long-term contract extension with the Gunners in 2025.
Saliba's rise at Arsenal
Saliba has been a key figure in Arsenal's defence in recent years, helping the club finish second in the Premier League twice before securing the title last season. The 25-year-old joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019 for £27 million but initially struggled to break into Mikel Arteta's first-team plans, spending loan spells back in France before establishing himself as a regular starter.
He soon became one of the Premier League's top defenders and is now widely regarded among the best in his position. Desailly, a World Cup winner with France, rates Saliba above Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and other elite centre-backs.
Desailly's verdict on Saliba
'Who do I think is the best centre-back in the world? It's not Virgil van Dijk,' Desailly told Sportscasting. '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.'
'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. Saliba is definitely one of the best ones. Gabriel is only there because of Saliba – so Gabriel, no, he's not in the conversation.'
Real Madrid interest
Saliba was heavily linked with Real Madrid before signing a new long-term deal with Arsenal in the summer of 2025, keeping him at the club until 2030. Despite the commitment, Desailly believes a move to the Spanish giants is inevitable.
'Yes, yes. I do expect William Saliba to one day wear the colours of Real Madrid,' Desailly added. '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.'
Current focus on World Cup
Saliba is currently at the World Cup with France, who are preparing to face Paraguay in the round of 16. The defender is expected to play a key role as Les Bleus aim to defend their title.
