Big Bill is signed as arsenal progress is clear – Suburban Gooners

I mean Big Bill Saliba and news that broke yesterday, but before doing this, a sad word for a young man who lost his life this week – Billy Vigar – who was formerly graduated from the Arsenal Academy. I posted on this subject last night, but it is tragic that a young boy who was only 21 years old lost his life by doing his job, striking a concrete wall and suffering from horrible brain lesions. He was not someone who reached the first Arsenal team and therefore naturally I knew nothing about its development, but the arsenal connection is not what I focus with this tragic story, it is that someone so young can be removed by such a bizarre incident. His family, friends, his football club Chichester United, have all lost someone they love and that’s something I think we should take a moment to think. Think of everyone in your life you love and be grateful. Sometimes the sentence “It is only football ” has a different meaning.

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I don’t think I’m the only one to have been surprised – pleasantly – about the Ornbomb that fell yesterday. William Saliba concluded a new agreement at the Arsenal. Five years, all this, but the official announcement, the club can keep a player who turned out to be one of the best players in the world of his position. I must say that I am really delighted with it, more than many of the other recent contract announcements that have been made. Do not get me wrong, by registering Ethan, MLS, Big Gabi – All very important. But I think the reason why it is the most pleasant for me personally is that it was the one I have – for some time now – real concerns that end up with him that came out next summer.

For what? Well, I think it’s because of the SSPT of other players, both in our club and elsewhere. The most recent example is Trentpool. He was a boy from Liverpool, he had sounded him (I believe) as if it was just a time of negotiation with two years to do. With a year to do, it was still in progress, but there was no major concern. Then, while the stopwatch has checked this last year, it has become more and more clear that it was going to leave Real Madrid. We heard rumors, Madrid Press, part of the hierarchy, had all started to make these noises and I think most of the football fans know that there is no smoke without fire. Well, these noises had started to surround the Saliba. We had obtained it from Marca, we had it from Podcast Odd like the one I saw with Rudiger in which he said he would like to play with Saliba, then when he was asked that he was smiling and haussed his shoulders. There had been fears about a little Mbappe agent Work for the French national team because I think the two players had gotten along well.

Then, on the one hand from Arsenal, there was a little paranoia given the way in which his arsenal career started and let’s be honest here, was a little poorly managed by the club. Loans and failed loans were a concern. Then, when he signed, it was only a four -year agreement without an “more one” option. Even at the time, I remember thinking of myself (and I don’t know if I have vocal here or not) that “in two years, we will be back in this same position: his contract”. Indeed, we were, but it never really seems to become the saga that it could have been this season.

And I think the real credit must go to Arsenal, to Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta on this subject. For Arsenal as a club, it is a question of being in a position in which the players feel competitive and although they can realize their dreams. There was a quote going around 2024 in which Saliba says rather with confidence that he thinks he is already one of the best defenders in the world, but now all he needs is to win trophies. He did not sign on the dotted line if he thinks he is the best defender in the world and that he cannot do this at the arsenal, I tell you a lot. And I think that one of the other massive factors about us being that the competition is Mikel Arteta too. There are people who are anti-anti-him and his approach, there have been some who have become a little more frustrated (in particular this season) with the way in which we have sometimes settled (let’s not forget the injuries here), but the reason why we are so competitive is that Mikel Arteta was able to succeed in doing inside the club). I want to invoke a name not well liked in the arsenal circles, but do it as an example of the way the times have changed, and this name is Robin Van Persie. He made us his “open letter” and quoted the club’s lack of ambition as why he will not renew. He apparently wanted investment insurance that the club would do to surround him with good players. Well, this summer, the club has invested significantly and as much as the agreement concerns Saliba and its situation, I wonder if the signing of some of the players we have made to make us even stronger following our growing injuries, could also have convinced him that Arsenal was put in place to succeed?

This agreement also allows Arsenal Security. We can still see Real Madrid coming for him, it could be in two years even and maybe he wants to try, but rather that we lose it for nothing, or have already sold him a year earlier because he had not signed an agreement, this would guarantee that any club that comes to strike 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 pounds sterling. Harry Maguire went to United for 80 million pounds sterling. Van Dijk moved to Liverpool in 2018 for 75 million pounds sterling. Take inflation, take the fact that Saliba will already be in a large club and on a decent contract, and if you are someone like Real Madrid who wants to hit Saliba in two years (assuming that he remains in good shape), his market value will be easily more than 100 million pounds sterling. This contract retains the value of an appreciated player and I think that all those associated with the arsenal will be delighted with this.

We have the Arteta press conference today before this really difficult trip to Newcastle and I will be back tomorrow to take a look at what he said and start to wait for this delicate trip in the northeast on Sunday.

See you then.