Gallas claims Real Madrid are 'on a different level' to Arsenal
William Gallas believes William Saliba would struggle to turn down a move to Real Madrid, insisting the Spanish giants remain a cut above Arsenal despite the north London side's recent progress under Mikel Arteta.
Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in a £27m deal back in 2019 and has since developed into one of the Premier League's finest centre backs, forming a formidable partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes as Arsenal won the league title last season. He signed a new long term contract through to 2030 in 2025, putting an end to speculation linking him with a move to the Bernabeu.
The Friday Injury Tracker
Who's out, who's back and what it means for the next two games.
But speaking to SeatPick, the former Arsenal defender suggested history still separates the two clubs, and that a serious approach from Madrid would be difficult for Saliba to resist.
“Are Arsenal at a high enough level now that William Saliba would turn down Real Madrid if they came in for him?” Gallas said. “I know a lot of people will be mad about what I'm going to say right now but if we are talking about the history of both clubs, Real Madrid and Arsenal, then Real Madrid is Real Madrid. They are on a different level.”
Gallas went further, outlining why he believes the Bernabeu still carries a different weight for players than the Emirates.
“The pressure is bigger there. The atmosphere around the club is different. Every game, the fans expect you to win. Every game, the fans expect you to have a great performance. Every season, the fans expect you to win La Liga or to win the Champions League, so it's a different level,” he said. “For me, even if their performances at the moment are not the best, and even if they haven't won the biggest trophies recently, Madrid is Madrid, and I'm telling you, any player who has the opportunity to go to Madrid, they will try to go there, and you can't blame them. You couldn't blame a player like Saliba if that is his decision.”
The Frenchman did not stop at Saliba, placing both Arsenal and Manchester United below Barcelona and Real Madrid in football's pecking order. “Arsenal and Manchester United? They are still behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, even Manchester United still to this day because they have such a big history,” he said. “That's why I think now with clubs like Arsenal, even if they had a good history in the past, what they are doing right now is rebuilding. They are trying to tell their story again, and they are on the right track, but they are still behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.”
Saliba closing in on return
Saliba has not played a single minute this season after suffering a back injury at the World Cup, but has returned to first team training and is nearing a first appearance of the campaign.
Arteta gave an update on his condition recently, explaining the careful approach being taken with his recovery. “All the preparation has been done to measure all the loads and all the steps that he had to do to minimise that risk,” Arteta said. “Now he's in a really good place. He's built the capacity that we needed, and now it's about giving him minutes. He's a centre back, and when that's the case, it's not like an attacking midfielder or a nine that you can change. A centre back normally has to be able to play 90 minutes, and that's why all the preparation that we've done to build him.”
Saliba was an unused substitute in Arsenal's 2-1 Champions League win over Slavia Prague on Wednesday but could be in contention for Saturday's trip to Hull City after Ezri Konsa was forced off in the second half of that match.
Arsenal will be hoping Saliba's return adds further stability to a defence that has been central to the club's title credentials, regardless of how his long term future is debated elsewhere.
