When drawing up his squad for the Europa League in 2020, Mikel Arteta left out William Saliba, opting instead for the likes of Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers - both of whom were injured.
Three years on, Arteta cited Saliba's absence - enforced through a lack of fitness rather than form - as a major factor in Arsenal's derailed Premier League title bid. Ironically, Saliba was sidelined with a back injury he sustained in a Europa League tie for which Arteta couldn't afford to bench him.
Saliba's integral status to Arsenal's setup has been recognised with a hefty new four-year contract. After months of negotiations, here's what Saliba is set to earn and how it compares to his colleagues in north London.
William Saliba's Arsenal salary before contract extension
1,107 days after Saliba signed his first contract with Arsenal, he made his Premier League debut. A mix of planned and hastily arranged loan spells delayed his introduction into the team but once Saliba was given game time, he certainly proved to be worth the wait.
Saliba starred in the first two-thirds of the Premier League season on a modest (in the gross realms of football finance) £40,000 per week. No other outfield player ended the campaign at Arsenal on a lower salary. For comparison, freshly promoted Bournemouth paid fellow defender Jack Stephens more than Saliba earned at Arsenal.
William Saliba's reported Arsenal salary after contract extension
Arsenal fans had devised a specific (and dangerously catchy) song for Saliba within the opening month of the previous campaign such was his rapid start to life in the Premier League. Unsurprisingly, Saliba's representatives were already negotiating a new deal in September - as revealed by 90min.
The ten-month-long talks over Saliba's contract chiefly revolved around the centre-back's salary rather than any alternative destinations. Eventually, the two parties managed to come to the conclusion that Saliba was worth a reported £192,000 per week - almost five times what he was earning last year.
The Athletic have reported that there is no release clause or option for a year's extension in Saliba's new deal which expires in 2027.
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How William Saliba's reported salary compares to Arsenal squad
After inking his new deal, Saliba has become the fifth member of Arsenal's squad to command an eight-digit annual salary. Bukayo Saka was embroiled in contract negotiations for as long as Saliba and put pen to paper on a fresh agreement in May.
Arsenal's 'star boy' is reportedly earning just shy of £200,000 per week. However, if certain bonuses are hit, Saka could rake in an extra £100,000 every Friday, which would take him above Gabriel Jesus' £265,000 salary.
Kai Havertz, the club's first confirmed signing of a busy summer, immediately rocketed to the top of the team wage bill, demanding an obscene £330,000 each week. Declan Rice is expected to earn £250,000 per week once his record-breaking transfer has been sealed, nudging Saliba further down the pecking order.
Gabriel Martinelli, Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah and lately Reiss Nelson have all been handed considerable wage bumps following contract extensions this calendar year but none can command as much as Saliba.
The Gunners pushed City to the brink of the Premier League title last season despite boasting the sixth-highest wage bill in the division. Following the recent surge in boardroom activity, Arsenal are set to climb those rankings.
However, the departure of Granit Xhaka (who was earning around £120,000 a week last year) has offered some marginal counter-balance. Thomas Partey - last season's second-highest earner in the squad - has also been heavily linked with a move away. Saliba is going nowhere any time soon.
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On this week's edition of The Chronicles of a Gooner, part of the 90min podcast network, Harry Symeou discusses the latest Arsenal news on Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Steve Round, Gary O'Driscoll, Kylian Mbappe, Reiss Nelson, Granit Xhaka & more.
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This article was originally published on 90min as How William Saliba's new contract compares to Bukayo Saka and Arsenal squad.
