William Saliba Transfer Value: How Much Is Arsenal Star Now Worth? New Contract Makes Him World’s Priciest Centre-Back

William Saliba has become the highest-valued centre-back in world football after signing a new five-year contract with Arsenal.

The 24-year-old — who has been capped 28 times by France at senior international level — poured cold water on transfer talk linking him with a possible 2026 move to Real Madrid by committing his future to Arsenal until June 2030.

William Saliba price tag rockets after new contract signing

Saliba, with over 100 Premier League appearances under his belt, was already one of the most sought-after and most valuable central defenders on the planet before extending his Arsenal contract.

However, by adding three years to his previous deal, Arsenal have added significant value to Saliba’s price tag.

How much is William Saliba worth?

After putting pen to paper on a new contract, FootballBlog.co.uk can reveal that Saliba is now worth an estimated £105 million.

That is according to a detailed AI calculation that factored in his recent performances, global profile, previous transfer fees, inflation and contract length.

The AI supercomputer has also calculated the current values of thousands of other players from around the globe to produce a list of the top 10 centre-backs in world football based on transfer value.

Saliba is the only player in his position worth more than £100m, but fellow Premier League star Josko Gvardiol is not far behind.

Gvardiol, still only 23, joined City from RB Leipzig for £77m in the summer of 2023 and has since become a mainstay in Pep Guardiola’s defence.

Barcelona teenager Pau Cubarsi — one of many Champions League wonderkids to watch this season — is another standout player, rated at £90m despite being just 18. Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni (£85m) and Arsenal’s own Gabriel Magalhaes (£75m) also feature in the top five.

Top 10 centre-backs in the world based on transfer value

Rank	Player	Club	Age	Contract until	Value
1	William Saliba	Arsenal	24	2030	£105m
2	Josko Gvardiol	Man City	23	2029	£95m
3	Pau Cubarsi	Barcelona	18	2027	£90m
4	Alessandro Bastoni	Inter	26	2028	£85m
5	Gabriel Magalhaes	Arsenal	27	2027	£75m
6	Leny Yoro	Man United	19	2030	£70m
7	Dean Huijsen	Real Madrid	20	2031	£70m
8	Ibrahima Konate	Liverpool	26	2026	£68m
9	Ruben Dias	Man City	28	2027	£61m
10	Micky van de Ven	Tottenham	24	2029	£60m

All figures listed by FootballBlog.co.uk are AI-generated estimates as of September 2025.

They are informed by recent transfer fees, age/position curves, contract status, performance indicators and market inflation. They are presented as estimates rather than definitive market prices.

How much did Arsenal pay for William Saliba?

Arsenal paid a transfer fee in the region of £27m when they bought an 18-year-old Saliba from French club Saint-Etienne in July 2019. He returned to Saint-Etienne on loan for the 2019/20 season, during which he struggled with injuries — tearing his hamstring and then breaking a metatarsal.

But after returning to full fitness, he then enjoyed further loan spells at Nice and Marseille. Saliba featured in 52 games for Marseille during the 2021/22 season, enhancing his reputation hugely.

How William Saliba transfer value increased over time

When he returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2022, his value was estimated at around £50m. His first season at Arsenal ended prematurely in March when he picked up a back injury after playing 33 games in all competitions. Nevertheless, by then he was a firm fixture in the France national team — with a World Cup appearance under his belt — and his price tag had risen close to £75m.

He then consolidated that level in 2023/24 by starting all 38 of Arsenal’s Premier League matches, underlining his reliability and quality in a side competing for the title.

From there, his value held firm until now, when the extension of his Arsenal contract pushed it up once again. Saliba is now estimated to be worth £105m, making him the most valuable centre-back in world football.