Arsenal 'highly confident' of agreeing deal for £70m star at the Emirates | OneFootball

Arsenal 'retain high confidence' of keeping William Saliba and being able to tie the defender down to a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT.

Having already negotiated fresh terms with Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale in recent weeks, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has set his sights on reaching further internal agreements.

Arsenal transfer news - William Saliba

According to French media outlet RMC Sport, Arsenal could face a battle to retain Saliba's services as three unnamed clubs have enquired over his availability.

The report suggests suitors are looking to pounce due to the Gunners' inability to convince the 22-year-old, who is valued at £70million by the CIES Football Observatory, to pen a new contract.

Saliba is set to enter the final 12 months of his deal, which is worth £40,000-per-week, and Arsenal are desperate to agree fresh terms.

It is understood that the north Londoners are edging towards persuading the France international to sign on the dotted line, having held negotiations for a number of months.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth recently told GIVEMESPORT that handing Saliba a new contract is a 'priority' for Arsenal.

What has Ben Jacobs said about Saliba?

Jacobs understands that negotiations with Saliba have been more difficult than when Arsenal tempted Gabriel Martinelli, Ramsdale, and Saka to pen fresh terms.

However, the respected journalist is aware that the Gunners remain optimistic over their chances of reaching an agreement.

Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT: "William Saliba is the big one that Arsenal still want to tie down. Comparative to the other Arsenal renewals - like Martinelli, Ramsdale, and Saka - it's a little bit more complicated.

"The reason for that is because Saliba returned from a loan spell at Marseille that he enjoyed and, at that point, he didn't really know his role in the Arsenal team.

"Arteta handled it really smartly because he let Saliba return and didn't actually speak to him too much as he wanted to see how he settled and what kind of appetite he had. Having been impressed with him in training, they then held talks and it was clear to Saliba that he was going to be thrown into the team. "From there, it's obvious how important Saliba has been and how sorely his absence has been felt during his injury down the stretch, when Arsenal have wobbled and subsequently lost the Premier League.

"Arsenal are well aware how vital Saliba is to the project and they still retain high confidence that he will stay, but they need to get that deal done."

Does Saliba deserve a new contract?

Saliba's importance is emphasised by the fact that, according to Transfermarkt, Arsenal only kept two clean sheets when he missed the final 11 matches of the Premier League campaign due to a back injury.

The central defender's lay-off can be pinpointed as a key moment in the title race, with Manchester City going on to be crowned champions at the Gunners' expense.

WhoScored data highlights that Gabriel Magalhaes was the only teammate to win more aerial battles, on average, than Saliba throughout the top flight campaign.

The former Marseille loanee, who cost £27million when he joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019, has become an integral part of the side and should be rewarded with a new contract.