'William Saliba looks like a Real Madrid player' - Jamie Carragher warns Gunners fans their club awaits same fate as Liverpool of old

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has fired a warning at Arsenal fans in light of the Gunners' trophyless spree, stating that William Saliba won't think twice before switching to a bigger club like Real Madrid in search of collective success.

Considered one of the best centre-backs in the world, Saliba has been a pillar in Arsenal's defence since the 2022-23 season, playing a big role in turning Mikel Arteta's side from top four outsiders to title contenders. However, the French defender has won just two trophies, the FA Community Shield in 2020 and 2023.

Recently, he has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants adamant on adding the 23-year-old to their ranks even if it means breaking the bank to make him the most expensive defender in history.

"There is one player, and people will be thinking I’m trying to cause a problem for Arsenal here and I’m not," Carragher said on the latest episode of 'It’s Called Soccer' podcast (h/t Mirror).

"But I think when you’re at a club, and this happened to us at Liverpool, once you don’t win the league or the Champions League, other bigger clubs start thinking, 'okay, we can take their player'.

"So for us at Liverpool it was [Xabi] Alonso, [Javier] Mascherano and [Fernando] Torres and then that team that had been built by Rafa Benitez – players were just leaving left, right and centre. I do look at Saliba and to me he looks like a Real Madrid player. I can imagine him in a Real Madrid kit."

Next week will be a crucial one for Arteta and his troops, as they travel to Eindhoven to take on PSV in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday, March 4, followed by a trip to Old Trafford to face an out-of-sorts Manchester United on March 9.