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Real Madrid are reportedly intent on not paying a transfer fee for one long-term target, whose current deal expires in 2027.
Real Madrid are reportedly devising a long-term strategy to secure the transfer of Arsenal centre-back William Saliba.
Despite the Frenchman recently reaffirming his commitment to the Gunners, the Spanish giants are not giving up hope of bringing him to the Santiago Bernabeu in the future.
While Madrid's interest in the French international is not new, signing him from the English giants is expected to be a difficult task, with the Premier League club reportedly prepared to demand a world-record fee for their key defender this summer.
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How Real Madrid intend to lure Saliba away from Arsenal
Acknowledging the high asking price and Saliba's stated loyalty to Arsenal, Los Blancos are said to be adopting a patient approach.
According to The Athletic, their plan involves maintaining close contact with Saliba's representatives and attempting to persuade him to allow his contract to expire or lead to a reduced transfer fee in 2026.
This long-term approach has been utilised by Real Madrid in previous high-profile pursuits.
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It played a role in their acquisition of Kylian Mbappe and reportedly underpins an agreement with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold for a free transfer this summer.
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A similar strategy eventually led to the signing of Eden Hazard from Chelsea, although that deal still involved a significant fee.
However, this method has not always guaranteed success for Madrid, as Los Blancos previously missed out on Leny Yoro after declining to match Manchester United's offer a year before his contract with Lille ended.
What next for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid hope defensive reinforcements cause an improvement at the back, having already conceded 64 goals in all competitions (as of April 12, 2025), 14 more than in 2023-24.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team are away at Alaves in LaLiga on Sunday before hosting Arsenal on Wednesday, when they seek to turn a 3-0 deficit around.
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