Real Madrid ‘make William Saliba No1 transfer target’ but Arsenal convinced he would be world’s most expensive defender

REAL MADRID are prioritising a transfer swoop for Arsenal star William Saliba.

Saliba, 23, has been established as one of the best defenders in the Premier League where he has formed a rock-solid duo with Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back.

And that has led to immense interest from some of the world's elite clubs for the Gunners' star.

According to RMC Sport, Real have made the France international an "absolute priority" ahead of the summer transfer window.

However, the North Londoners are demanding a massive fee for their star Frenchman.

Arsenal see Saliba as the best centre-back in the world following two goals in 33 appearances across all competitions this season.

Mikel Arteta's side is not keen to sell the ex-Saint-Etienne star any time soon.

However, if Arsenal have no option then they are planning to demand a hefty fee.

The same source claims the Premier League giants are convinced Saliba will go down in history as the most expensive defender if he leaves the Emirates.

That means Arsenal won't consider any bid worth less than £80million.

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That is how much Manchester United splashed to sign Harry Maguire from Leicester in 2019 and made him the most expensive defender in football history.

Saliba has a contract with Arsenal until 2027, which means the club is in no rush.

The Frenchman joined the Gunners in 2019 from Saint-Etienne but was immediately sent back on loan to the French outfit to gain more experience.

That led to more loan stints to Nice and Marseille until he was finally established in Arsenal's first team in 2022.

Since then, Saliba has stood out for Arteta's side with a total of seven goals and two assists in 116 appearances.