Real Madrid have identified Arsenal center-back William Saliba as their top target for the summer but will have to break the record transfer fee for a defender to sign the Frenchman.

Real Madrid have reportedly identified Arsenal defender William Saliba as their primary transfer target for the summer.

Saliba has cemented his status as one of the world’s elite defenders in recent years and was named in the 2024 FIFA The Best World XI. He has long been linked with a move to Madrid, and according to RMC Sport, Los Blancos are now intensifying their pursuit.

With defensive reinforcements a priority, Madrid see Saliba as the ideal candidate to bolster their backline. However, Arsenal are determined to keep him. By the summer, the Frenchman will have two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates, which does not include an automatic extension clause.

Saliba only signed his current deal last season, earning around £10 million per year. RMC Sport reports that Arsenal regard him as the best defender in the world and would demand a record-breaking fee for a defender to consider selling him.

Since 2022, Saliba has been a key figure in Arsenal’s defense, playing every minute of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign in the league’s strongest backline. This season, his partnership with Gabriel has remained solid.

Madrid have admired Saliba for years, first being linked with him during his impressive loan spell at Marseille in the 2021-22 season.

The Spanish giants have not made a major defensive signing since acquiring Ferland Mendy from Lyon for £47 million in 2019. In recent years, they have successfully strengthened their defense through free transfers, bringing in players like Antonio Rüdiger from Chelsea and David Alaba from Bayern Munich. A similar approach could be taken with Trent Alexander-Arnold t

his summer.