I want to talk about Big Bill Saliba and the news that broke yesterday, but before I do that, a sad word for a young man who lost his life this week – Billy Vigar – who was once an Arsenal academy graduate. I posted about it last night, but this is tragic that a young lad who is just 21 years old lost his life basically doing his job, hitting a concrete wall and suffering horrible brain damage. He wasn’t somebody who made it to the first team at Arsenal and so naturally I didn’t know anything about his development, but the Arsenal connection is not what I’m focused on with this tragic story is that somebody so young can be taken away by such a freak incident. His family, his friends, his football club Chichester United, all have lost somebody they love and that is something I think we should all take a moment to think about. Think about all of the people in your life you love and be thankful. Sometimes the phrase “it’s only football” carries a different meaning.

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I don’t think I’m the only one who was surprised – pleasantly so – about the Ornbomb that dropped yesterday. William Saliba has agreed a new deal at The Arsenal. Five years, all done but the official announcement, the club get to keep a player who has proven himself to be one of the best players in the world in his position. I have to say, I am thoroughly delighted with this one, more so than many of the other recent contract announcements that have been made. Don’t get me wrong, signing up Ethan, MLS, Big Gabi – all very important. But I think the reason why this one is the most pleasing for me personally is that it was the one that I have – for some time now – haboured genuine concerns that this would end up with him exiting next summer.

Why? Well, I think it is because of some PTSD from other players, both at our club and elsewhere. The most recent example is Trent at Liverpool. He was a Liverpool lad, he’d made it sound (I believe) as though it was just negitation time with two years to go. With one year to go that was still ongoing but there were no major concerns. Then as the clock ticked down on that final year, it became more and more clear that he was going to exit to Real Madrid. We’d heard the rumours, the Madrid press, some of the hierarchy, had all started making those noises and I think most football fans know there is no smoke without fire. Well, those noises had started to surround Saliba. We were getting it from Marca, we had it from the odd podcast like one I saw with Rudiger in which he’s said he’d love to play with Saliba and then when he was asked about that he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. There had been fears about a little bit of Agent Mbappe work for the French national team, as I believe the two players had gotten on well.

Then, from an Arsenal side, there was a bit of paranoia given how his Arsenal career started and let’s be honest here, was a little mismanaged by the club. The loans and failed loans were a worry. Then, when he did sign, it was only a four year deal with no ‘plus one’ option on it. Even back then I remember thinking to myself (and I’m not sure if I vocalised that on here or not) that “in two year’s time we’re going to be back in this same position re: his contract”. Sure enough we were, but this seems to have never really developed into the saga that it could have been this season.

And I think real credit has to go to Arsenal, to Mikel Arteta and to Andrea Berta on this. For Arsenal as a club, it is about being in a position in which the players feel competitive and though they can realise their dreams. There was a quote doing the rounds from 2024 in which Saliba says rather confidently that he thinks he is already one of the best defenders in the world, but now all he needs is to win trophies. He ain’t signing on the dotted line if he thinks he’s the best defender in the world and he can’t do that at The Arsenal, I tell you that much. And I think one of the other massive factors about us being that competitive is Mikel Arteta too. There are people who are anti him and his approach, there are some that have grown a little more frustrated (particularly this season) with how we have set up at times (let’s not forget the injuries here guys),  but the reason we are so competitive is because Mikel Arteta has been able to (with ample finances from the club) build a very competitive Arsenal side that these players feel like success is within touching distance. I want to invoke a name not well liked in Arsenal circles, but doing it as an example of how times have changed, and that name is Robin van Persie. He did his ‘open letter’ to us and cited the lack of ambition by the club as a reason he wouldn’t renew. He’d apparently wanted reassurances of the investment the club would make in surrounding him with good players. Well, this summer, the club invested significantly and as much as the deal is about Saliba and his situation, I wonder if the signing of some of the players we have made to make us even stronger in the wake of our mounting injuries, might also have helped to convince him that Arsenal are set up for success?

This deal enables Arsenal security too. We may yet see Real Madrid come in for him, it could be in two years time even and perhaps he wants to give it a go, but rather than us losing him for nothing, or having already sold him a year earlier because he didn’t sign a deal, this would ensure that any club that comes knocking will have to pay for what could be the best defender in the world. Josko Gvardiol moved from RB Leipzig to Man City in 2023 for £77 million. Harry Maguire went to United for £80million. van Dijk moved to Liverpool in 2018 for £75million. Take inflation, take the fact Saliba will already be at a big club and on a decent contract, and if you are someone like Real Madrid that wants to come knocking for Saliba in two years time (assuming he stays fit) then his market value is going to be more than £100million easily. This contract retains the value of a valued player and I think everyone associated with The Arsenal will be delighted with that.

We’ve got Arteta’s press conference today ahead of this really tough trip to Newcastle and I’ll be back tomorrow to have a look at what he said and start looking ahead of this tricky trip to the North East on Sunday.

See you then.