Time after time Arsenal were allowing players to get down to the very last moments of their contracts. Players left the club for less than their market value due to the club’s inability to secure their futures.
Aaron Ramsey left on a free to Juventus despite being worth serious money at the time. Alexis Sanchez moved to Manchester United in a swap deal after Arsenal were unable to see his future sorted. Serge Gnabry famously preferred to leave the Gunners over a new deal in search of game time.
However, there has been significant change at the club since Mikel Arteta took over. Not only have the fortunes changed this season with a top-three chase on the cards, but the recruitment and squad management has drastically been overhauled.
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One aspect has been the securing of player contracts. Under Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith-Rowe, Folarin Balogun and Rob Holding have all had their futures tied down.
Balogun was a particularly impressive coup considering all indications pointed towards the talented forward leaving permanently. However, he stayed, and has now been sent on loan to Middlesbrough where he is beginning to flourish.
Since Saka’s new contract in particular, however, the England international has risen to be considered one of the stars of the game in the Premier League. He still has several years on his current contract, but the club intend to tie him down at the end of the season football.london understands.
Furthermore, after his first two full seasons, the club wants to renew Mikel Arteta’s deal too. The club are happy with the progress and confident that the Spaniard will continue with the club.
CBS Sports have also suggested that Arsenal will look to offer Gabriel Magalhaes a new contract. The Brazilian signed for the club in 2020 and has become an integral part of the way Arteta demands his defenders perform. A deal in 2022 will mark yet another two-year cycle from signature to renewal.
This is where the trend begins to become clear. The club appear to have the motivation to renew their player’s deals every two years, or at least begin discussions. This allows them far more control than before, and decisions can be made in the transfer market earlier to protect the interests of the club.
This hints at a very busy 2023. All the six summer acquisitions would have completed two seasons with Arsenal by the summer of next year. Arsenal will want to be mindful of an ever-increasing wage bill, especially with such a young group.
Despite this slight negative, one that will always exist, Arteta has looked to have solved yet another big problem the club had attached to them for some time. It bodes well for the Spaniard that the players act so committedly towards the project.
In the market, this loyalty is an attractive feature for prospective players. Stability is good and reward can be even better, any potential targets will be taking notice of the progression available in the red half of north London.
