According to a report by Metro on Thursday November 5, 2026, Former Arsenal defender William Gallas believes William Saliba could struggle to reject Real Madrid if the Spanish giants approached him. He insists the club’s history and stature place it above Arsenal.

Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne for £27 million in 2019. The Frenchman has become one of the Premier League’s leading centre-backs. He played a key role in last season’s title-winning campaign, forming a strong partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes.

The defender signed a new contract in 2025, keeping him at the Emirates until 2030. That agreement followed strong links with Madrid, but Gallas believes the Spanish club could still be difficult to turn down.

Speaking to SeatPick, Gallas admitted his comments might upset Arsenal supporters. However, he argued that Madrid’s history makes it a different proposition. He said players at the Santiago Bernabeu face enormous pressure to win matches and major trophies.

According to Gallas, Madrid supporters expect the team to challenge for La Liga and the Champions League every season. He added that any player offered the chance to join would consider it seriously. Saliba should not be blamed if he chose to move.

Gallas also placed Arsenal and Manchester United below Barcelona and Madrid because of the Spanish clubs’ history. He described Arsenal’s current project as a rebuilding process, despite the progress made under Mikel Arteta.

Saliba has yet to feature this season after suffering a back injury at the World Cup. However, he has returned to first-team training and is nearing a comeback. Arteta recently said the defender had completed his workload preparation and was ready to receive minutes.

Saliba was an unused substitute in Wednesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Slavia Prague. He could feature against Hull City on Saturday, particularly after Ezri Konsa was forced off with an issue.