After a summer of ins and outs at Arsenal, Andrea Berta’s priority between now and Christmas is clear: tie down Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to long-term deals.
Talks with both players have been underway for a while and the word is things are moving in the right direction. Saka last signed fresh terms in May 2023, committing until 2027, while Saliba followed a couple of months later with a deal that also runs for another two years.
There’s no immediate rush, but securing the futures of two key players would put an end to speculation and keep would-be suitors at bay – not least Real Madrid, who’ve had their eye on Saliba for some time.
Asked for an update on the contract talks, Mikel Arteta said on Friday: “That never stops, but I think the collaboration between the club, what Andrea [Berta] is doing, and the agents, is very good.
“I think the good thing is that the players want to remain here and they want to be a big part of the history of this club in the next few years and that is always positive and Andrea will drive that and see where we go.”
By and large, Arsenal have done very well keeping players at arm’s length from free agent status. As things stand, Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is currently on loan at the City Ground, is the only first team player who’ll walk away for nothing next summer.
The club retains an option to extend Karl Hein’s deal by another year should he not join Werder Bremen permanently. After that, attention turns to the futures of Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Martinelli, whose deals also end in 2027.