William Saliba has said he never considered following Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid because he has not yet won a major trophy for Arsenal.
Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool for the Spanish capital in the summer after two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League winner’s medal on Merseyside. Real Madrid were also linked with a move for Saliba but the 24-year-old signed a new five-year contract with Arsenal on Tuesday.
The timing of committing his future to the club has come as a surprise to some, as the France centre back had entered the final two years of his deal. He could have followed similar high-profile players, such as Alexander-Arnold, who have run down their contracts, encouraged by admiration from Real.
“He won some titles with Liverpool,” Saliba said of the England full back. “Me, I didn’t win anything here except the Community Shield. I’ve done nothing for this club to think about leaving. I love this club. I cannot leave this club without giving them something back. My first choice was to stay here and win everything first. I knew I wanted to stay here for more years, so I was not really focused on the other clubs.”
The defender noted that, unlike Alexander-Arnold who joined Real Madrid in the summer, he has yet to win any major trophies in England
