William Saliba

Saliba played 50 of Arsenal's 63 games across all competitions in 2025/26, the third-most minutes of any Arsenal outfield player, as the club won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.

He turned down interest from Real Madrid to sign a new five-year contract extension with Arsenal through 2030, choosing to stay at a club now competing for the biggest trophies in Europe.

His 2026 World Cup with France ended early: he was substituted with a back injury after 30 minutes of France's semifinal defeat to Spain, and Arsenal later confirmed he would be sidelined for an extended period, though surgery was not required.

Saliba is a quick, aggressive ball-playing centre-back who defends high up the pitch, a style that suits Arsenal's possession-heavy system but also puts him under more physical strain than a traditional deep-lying stopper.

He heads into 2026/27 managing the back injury sustained at the World Cup, with Arsenal needing him fit early given how central he was to their title-winning and Champions League-final campaign.