William Saliba staying at Arsenal given Real Madrid’s interest was no surprise – they don’t roll out the red carpet for defenders.
That’s the verdict of European football broadcaster Andy Brassell, who believes three other centre-backs offer better value for money.
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Los Blancos coach Xabi Alonso made revamping the club’s defense his priority in the transfer market last summer.
Trent Alexander Arnold Dean Huijsen And Álvaro Carreras has all arrived in Spain, but another centre-back remains high on the wish list.
Earlier this year, there were reports in Saliba’s homeland that the Frenchman was a priority target for Real Madrid.
However, the 24-year-old ended the debate over his long-term future by signing a new contract with Arsenal at the end of last month.
Asked if this news came as a surprise to the Madrid side, Brassell told The Pitch Prospect.com: “If we look historically at the type of players for whom the red carpet has really been rolled out, it’s not the defenders – however good they may be.”
“I remember Patrick Vieira almost went to Real Madrid in 2004 and then turned around and said: his heart made him stay at Arsenal.
“I think the fact that Florentino Perez told him he wouldn’t pay him at the same level as the Galacticos probably played a role too.
“I’m not accusing Vieira of being stingy or anything like that, but football is never really just about the money. It’s about the respect you have.” The Money implied. And that was obviously something he couldn’t get over.
“He probably looked and thought, well, okay, I could be the next Claude Makélélé, but not in a good way – undervalued, underestimated by the people in the boardroom.”
“Of course Makélélé was loved by his teammates, but he didn’t feel like he got enough love from the board. And that was the real trigger for his move to Chelsea.”
“But the Saliba thing is that it’s not a big surprise.”
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The link between Saliba and Real Madrid has been exaggerated
Upon signing his new Arsenal contract, Saliba admitted that he feels that The club is well placed to move on, which was a key factor in its staying.
Brassell added: “It’s not a big surprise, firstly because he’s doing great at Arsenal.
“Secondly, because you somehow always had the feeling that the interest, to what extent it was a fixed interest, I’m not entirely sure.
“I feel like Saliba’s agents have ratcheted things up a bit to speed up negotiations with Arsenal.
“But recently the reason for Saliba not moving to Real Madrid seems out of the question because there are free offers on the market in the future.”
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Real Madrid are seeking free transfers for Guehi, Upamecano and Konate
The La Liga giants have identified a trio of defensive reinforcements in Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba in the final year of their contracts.
Both were success stories of Madrid’s free agent strategy, which also eventually led to them signing Kylian Mbappe.
The pursuit of Alexander-Arnold, albeit by the club, has almost paid off paid at the end a fee of £8.4 million to bring him in early.
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His former Liverpool teammate Ibrahima Konate could now follow him to the Bernabeu to meet another close friend, Mbappe.
The defender has reached the final year of his contract at Anfield and can sign a pre-contract with foreign clubs in January.
Ironically, Marc Guehi, whose £35million move to Liverpool fell through on deadline day, has been named as another Madrid target.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has admitted the England star will leave the club after deciding not to extend his contract, which expires in June 2026.
Konate’s compatriot Dayot Upamecano has also attracted Madrid’s attention due to his similar contract situation at Bayern Munich.
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Madrid wish list with better value for money
“I find it difficult to believe all three because I believe that if we look at Real Madrid’s wage bill, we have reduced it significantly over the last five to six years,” Brassell continued.
“There are some big earners who have left and they have put limits on what they want to pay people. Of course Kylian Mbappe had to take a pay cut to move to Real Madrid.
“I think if you could take, say, two of those three, Guehi, Upamecano and Konate, why would you want to get involved in a really tough transfer battle with Arsenal?
“You just wouldn’t do it, would you? I think you can get better value for money elsewhere, and value for money is actually very important for Real Madrid in the modern world.”