Real Madrid next? Marcel Desailly tips Arsenal star William Saliba for dream Bernabéu move

France legend Marcel Desailly believes William Saliba is destined to play for Real Madrid, insisting the Spanish giants remain the ultimate destination for the world’s elite players.

Saliba, born to a Cameroonian mother, has established himself as one of Europe’s most dominant centre-backs during his time at Arsenal, playing a pivotal role alongside Gabriel Magalhães as the Gunners ended a 20-year wait for the Premier League title last season.

Although the French defender remains a cornerstone of Arsenal’s long-term plans, Desailly believes a move to the Santiago Bernabéu could become a reality later in his career.

“The door is open”

Speaking about Saliba’s future, Desailly suggested the 25-year-old is unlikely to leave North London in the immediate future but argued that Real Madrid’s appeal is difficult for any player to ignore.

“Yes, yes. I do expect William Saliba to one day wear the colours of Real Madrid. He’s committed to Arsenal for the next, I don’t know, four years. But he’s young, so why not?

“The door is open, and all the best players want to play for Real Madrid at some point in their careers. The door is open. But not now. Not now. He is the best central defender, so it is what it is today.”

The comments are likely to concern Arsenal supporters, who regard Saliba as one of the club’s most indispensable players after several outstanding seasons in the Premier League.

Madrid continue defensive rebuild

Desailly’s prediction comes as Real Madrid continue an aggressive squad rebuild under new manager José Mourinho.

The Spanish champions have already strengthened significantly this summer, bringing in Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries.

Konaté’s arrival attracted particular attention after he ended a successful spell at Liverpool, where he won the Premier League, the FA Cup and two League Cups before making the surprise switch to Madrid.

Despite those additions, Desailly believes Saliba possesses the quality to eventually become another marquee defensive signing for Los Blancos.

Saliba gets the nod over Van Dijk

The former France captain also made it clear who he believes is the finest central defender in world football, overlooking Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in favour of his fellow Frenchman.

“Who do I think is the best centre-back in the world? It’s not Virgil van Dijk.

“He has his level, we know; there’s no doubt he’s a great defender. But on some occasions, he has shown a little bit of weakness. It’s also probably due to his past injury; in 1v1 situations, he is no longer exceptional like he was before, though he’s still a great player.”