Arsenal have slapped an asking price of £100 million on William Saliba amid interest from Real Madrid.
The representatives of the Frenchman have held talks with the La Liga club as Los Blancos look to sign him during the next summer transfer window, and the Gunners are looking to hold on to him beyond this season.
Saliba sees joining Madrid as the ultimate dream of his career, and the prospect of playing with his international teammate and friend Kylian Mbappe appeals to the Arsenal star.
Madrid are short of centre-back options at the moment following key injuries to their best players in the position, and they are desperate to land the Gunners defender.
It will take plenty of money to convince Arsenal into parting with Saliba anytime soon, and it appears the Spanish club are ready and willing to make him the most expensive defender in history.
The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the best players in his position in the Premier League, with 116 appearances to his name for the North London club.
Arsenal are challenging for the English top-flight title for the third campaign running after finishing second behind Manchester City in each of the last two seasons, and Saliba has been very crucial to their recent progress.
However, a move to Madrid will be very tempting given their status as the biggest club on the planet, and the Gunners may need to win a major silverware this term to have a chance of holding on to him.
They are currently challenging for the Premier League and Champions League having been dumped out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and Saliba will hope to help them win both competitions.
