Arsenal have agreed new terms with Bukayo Saka and now plan to discuss contract extensions with more key players
Mikel Arteta is planning contract talks for Martin Odegaard and three more Arsenal stars after an agreement was reached for Bukayo Saka
Mikel Arteta is planning contract talks for Martin Odegaard and three more Arsenal stars after an agreement was reached for Bukayo Saka
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Arsenal have already initiated further contract discussions with star players after agreeing on a new deal for Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old is poised to sign a five-year contract with improved terms on his current deal, which was due to expire in June 2027, according to The Athletic.
Saka has become Arsenal's franchise player, and this will certainly be reflected in the agreement, with a substantial salary increase likely. However, he is not the only player of significant importance to Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners boss eager for sporting director Andrea Berta to repeat that agreement for others.
In addition to a highly successful first transfer window at the club, where roughly £250million was spent to sign six players permanently, Berta successfully helped negotiate new contracts for William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Saka was the first priority to join that list, with the Mirror's sister-title football.london reporting that the club are also keen to agree extensions for Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice. The latter's current deal expires in the summer of 2028, but there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months.
The Times has provided additional details on contract talks for Arsenal stars in their latest report, claiming that the club have moved closer to a new deal for Timber.
It has also been reported that discussions with Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Mikel Merino - all of whom see their current contracts expire in 2028 - are being planned.
Mikel Arteta, who is entering the final year of his three-year contract signed in 2024, hinted that winning this season's Premier League title could secure his future at the club.
He stated: "A lot of things have to happen in the next few months, as well, to earn the right. I think the manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow.
"That is how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you.
"I always said that you need support, I said it before. From the ownership and the board, it's great. At the end, the most important one is those players.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reacts
Mikel Arteta has admitted he must earn a new Arsenal contract(Image: Getty Images)
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"You open that door, you confront them, you talk to them and they are like this (mimes being open-mouthed) or they are like this (mimes sleeping).
"And for six years, I have seen just players with a level of attention and desire to learn, and give the maximum to the team. That is what keeps me in this job. Nothing else.
"And, obviously, winning a lot of football matches that, percentage-wise, I think is quite high. That is the only way. If not, you cannot survive in this environment."
The Gunners are currently on course to lift domestic silverware in May as they sit top of the Premier League table and six points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City.