Why I Signed New Arsenal Contract – Saliba

Arsenal defender William Saliba has set his sights on leading the club to greater heights after signing a new deal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The French defender put pen to paper on a five-year deal to extend his sojourn in North London after signing his first deal in 2019.

Saliba joined the Gunners from Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne in July 2019 and was loaned back to the French club for the 2019-20 season.

He has become a key member of the team, making 105 league appearances for the Gunners, scoring six goals, and registering two assists.

The 24-year-old said he feels at home and has promised to keep doing his best for the club.

Saliba said, “I feel proud of myself because I first signed in 2019, and now in 2025, I’m still here to extend my contract. I’m so happy.

“I feel at home. We have a good team, we have a good squad, and we have good staff. The coach is perfect for me, so it’s the best place to be.

“I enjoy every day when I have the chance to wear this shirt. I try to give everything, and now I’ll give even more to this club and to the fans.

“When you sign, you dream of playing many games, but it comes so quickly. Before I signed, I didn’t realise that I would play a lot of games like this, so it’s good, and I want to play more.

“When I signed, I went back to Saint-Etienne, and I came back and became a starter, so a lot of things have happened, but I’m so proud of my journey. I never gave up, even in the tough moments.

“Of course, I wanted to play straight away, but I didn’t expect that it would be as good as it was. I played well; we almost won the league in the first season, and we almost won the league the season after as well. I’m happy now, but not 100% happy because we have to do more. We have to win titles because it’s what we want and what the club wants.

Mikel Arteta was delighted with Saliba’s new deal while urging him to keep improving.

He said, “Since joining us, William has grown so much, embraced responsibility, and created a strong connection with our supporters and everyone at the club.

“We know there is still so much to come from him and will continue to work together to keep improving with the clear ambition of winning major trophies.”

Saliba will be hoping to lead the Gunners to their first major trophy since 2020 after they finished second to Liverpool in the Premier League last season.

Arsenal will return to action against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium.