Arsenal defender William Saliba is reported to have given his honest view on the transfer interest from Real Madrid.

Saliba has solidified himself as one of the best defenders in the world during his time with Arsenal. He has become a key starter under Mikel Arteta and was greatly missed with an injury in their recent 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.

Because he has created such a name for himself, Saliba has caught the attention from other clubs, most prominently Real. The Spanish giants seem set to push for a potential deal for the Frenchman.

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FootMercato has reported that Los Blancos are interested in signing Saliba this summer. Real are said to have been keeping an eye on the 23-year-old and have contacted his entourage.

However, the French publication have also reported on Saliba's stance on the interest from Real. They state that the French defender is "focused on his season and does not want to pollute his mind with his future."

For Arsenal to have any chance of winning the Premier League this season, they will need every player completely focused. Chasing down Liverpool is a tough thing to do. Gunners fans will certainly be happy that Saliba's mind is solely with the club's ambition and away from transfer rumours.

Mikel Arteta's men have conceded the second least amount of goals this season alongside having the third most clean sheets. If the Spanish boss was to lose Saliba, it would be a big dent in the team.

Two seasons ago, the Frenchman missed out on the Gunners' final 11 games due to a back injury.

Many pundits identified this as a key reason why Manchester City overturned an eight-point gap towards the end and Arsenal - within those 11 games - only kept two clean-sheets.

Saliba is contracted until the summer of 2027.

Unless Arsenal can get the French defender to put pen-to-paper and extend his contract, Real will feel evermore confident they can pull off a deal.