William Saliba addresses future as Arsenal eyes Champions League progress | OneFootball

French defender William Saliba has been one of Arsenal's standout players since returning to the club from loan before the 2022-23 season. With the Gunners set to host PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, he spoke to the media. Arsenal, who won the first leg 7-1, will qualify for the quarter-finals as long as nothing drastic happens against the Dutch side on Wednesday.

Spanish giants Real Madrid have been strongly linked with the 23-year-old. His current contract is set to expire at the end of next season, so, expectedly, there were questions about his future.

The 23-year-old featured in the first leg in the Netherlands as his side produced a brilliant performance. When asked by Football.London about his contract situation, Saliba said: "For me, I'm really happy here. I've been here for two years and a half as well. There is nothing. I'm happy here, and I want to continue here."

The French international also stated that he is in no rush for a new contract at the club. On his ambitions at Arsenal, he said: "Yeah, of course I want to win big things with Arsenal. If you love this club, and it didn’t mean anything, of course I want to win big things here."

For Arsenal, William Saliba has made 121 appearances since his debut in the 2022-23 season, scoring seven goals. On an individual level, he has been named in the PFA Team of the Season in the past two seasons. For his national team, he has featured in 26 matches, scoring once, and was named in the Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament.

Saliba has an opportunity to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. If Arsenal advance to the quarter-finals, they will face the winners of the Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid tie. Los Blancos won their home leg 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu. They will make a short trip to visit their rivals for the second leg on Wednesday.

On the Premier League front, Arsenal had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Despite having a game in hand over Liverpool, the North London side trails the league leaders by 15 points. Since they have also been knocked out of both domestic competitions, the Champions League remains their most realistic chance at silverware this season.