William Saliba has been warned by former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit that “the grass is not really greener outside”, as Real Madrid eye up a transfer move for him.
Real Madrid are interested in signing Saliba, who will have two years to run on his Arsenal contract in the summer.
Arsenal want to tie the centre-back down to a new deal but Real hope the Frenchman might sit tight and join them for a reduced fee next year - or even for free in 2027.
Petit admits it would be hard to turn down “the best club in the world”, however he has urged Saliba to consider the love he has from the fans at Arsenal.
Petit, who won the Double with Arsenal in 1998, left the club for Barcelona in 2000 but just one year later he was back in England when he signed for Chelsea.
And he has warned his compatriot to think twice about leaving Emirates Stadium.
“William Saliba is enjoying his time at Arsenal so far,” Petit told Standard Sport on behalf of William Hill Vegas.
“He loves the way Arsenal plays and has become a different kind of player. He’s now with the France national team because of what he has done with Arsenal.
“If he goes to Real Madrid, it's another story. It’s the same with Trent Alexander-Arnold. It’s one thing playing with Liverpool, where you have been loved by the fans for such a long time and won many trophies, but it’s a different story when you go to Real Madrid.
“I have experienced that. When I left Arsenal, I was loved by the fans. When I went to Barcelona, it was a blank page, a new story that I had to write. I had to forget what I had done in the past and deliver with a new club.
“It will be the same with Saliba. I can understand that it could be a dream for a player to sign for the best club in the world. But the grass is not really greener outside.
“There’s been a lot of speculation in the last few months about Arsenal spending a lot of money, the next transfer market, signing strikers, wingers and I totally agree with that.
“But I’ve said many times recently, they have to be very aware of keeping their best players through the spine of the team if they want to improve, if they want to reach the next step. What does it mean if you bring top strikers in and then you lose your top defenders?"
