Keeping the best players at the club is just as important as making new signings but it is often taken for granted. Arsenal should know this better than most having seen plenty of their top stars leave during the period of financial strictness with Arsene Wenger.
With the news that Bukayo Saka has signed a new deal, Arsenal have ensured that arguably their most important player for the future will stay for the foreseeable. However, this is not the end of Arsenal’s hopes to secure more of their young talents.
Saka joins the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhães who have all recently signed new deals. football.london takes a look at where Arsenal are with the next four players in line as the Gunners look to secure their starters’ futures.
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Ben White
Having signed from Brighton in 2021, Ben White has had two successful seasons with the club just like his fellow summer signing of the same year Aaron Ramsdale. The goalkeeper was given an additional extension on improved terms to reflect his performances.
White proved to be a strong centre-half for the side in his first season and has gone further in the title-challenging season of 2022/23 after moving to right-back to play with William Saliba instead of being replaced by the Frenchman. He has proven many of his critics wrong and shown the asset he is to the club.
With that in mind, like the aforementioned Ramsdale, he too will surely be in line for an improvement of his terms to reflect his two strong years. The Times reports that White is indeed on the list of players who could be due a renewal, with his current deal expiring in 2026.
Martin Odegaard
The Norwegian has had a stellar season for the club and could still break the record for non-penalty goals scored by a midfielder by notching his 16th of the season against Wolves on the final game of the campaign.
He has earned the plaudits for his goalscoring but also the creativity and leadership he brings to the team as club captain.
football.london understands that the club have worked behind the scenes regarding the preparation for talks on a new deal. Odegaard is happy at the club and there’s hope an extension will be secured which reflects his standing in the squad – his current deal expires in 2025.
Reiss Nelson
Having already had two contract offers knocked back, Arsenal have put forth a third proposal to the Hale End graduate. Nelson wants assurances about his future role in the team as opposed to the one-year extension that the club agreed with the winger prior to his loan to Feyenoord last season.
The winger has shown real promise in the side and Mikel Arteta has been impressed to push hard to try to keep him at the 11th hour of his time with the club. Nelson has offers from England and abroad football.london understands amid a potential free transfer but the Gunners hope he will now stay.
William Saliba
The player that remains the most up in the air of all the squad. With one year left on his deal after Arsenal activated the one-year clause in his contract, there has yet to be a breakthrough in talks despite football.london understanding that the club remain confident the player will indeed renew.
Saliba has been a critical part of the side’s significant improvement this season and to continue on the pathway to bigger and better things it is just as imperative that Arsenal renew the centre-half. Replacing a player of his calibre will be incredibly expensive and the wages that he may want are likely to reflect that context.
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