Arsenal looked to be closing in on the signing of Saliba for a fee of €25m, with Saliba being loaned back to Saint-Etienne for next season.
However, Spurs have reportedly made contact with Saint-Etienne and declared their interest.
While Arsenal may have history behind them, Spurs are in a better position to offer Champions League football to Saliba.
Also, the loan-back clause Saint-Etienne are insisting on may not be as big an issue for Mauricio Pochettino, who can already call upon Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez, Toby Alderweireld and Juan Foyth at centre-back.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are in dire need of defensive re-enforcements, so losing out to Saliba – particularly to their biggest rivals – would be tough to take.
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