Arsenal are preparing for further contract negotiations with key players following an agreement on a new deal for Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old is expected to sign a five-year contract with improved terms, extending his current deal which was due to end in June 2027, according to The Athletic.
Saka, who has been touted as Arsenal's franchise player, will see this status reflected in the new agreement, which likely includes a significant salary increase. However, he isn't the only player of importance to Mikel Arteta, with the Arsenal manager keen for sporting director Andrea Berta to replicate his success.
In addition to a successful first transfer window at the club, Berta also successfully negotiated new contracts for William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
According to football.london, the Gunners are eager to agree extensions for Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, following Saka's renewal.
Rice's current contract expires in the summer of 2028, but there is an option to extend it by another year.
The Times, meanwhile, say that Arsenal are moving closer to a new deal for Timber. Plans are also underway for discussions with Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Mikel Merino, whose current contracts all expire in 2028.
It's not only crucial players facing contract decisions, with Arteta himself approaching the final year of the three-year agreement he signed in 2024.
When questioned about extending his tenure last month, the Spaniard suggested that securing this season's Premier League crown would help determine his future.
He said: "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.
"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."