Arsenal want to tie Saka and Saliba down to long-term deals
Arsenal want to tie Bukayo Saka and William Saliba down to long-term deals, with Mikel Arteta keen to keep the ‘biggest talents’ at the Emirates… after Gabriel Martinelli penned a new four-and-a-half year deal with the Gunners
- Gabriel Martinelli commited his long-term future to Arsenal on Friday
- The Gunners now want Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to do the same
Mikel Arteta has now switched his focus to tying down Bukayo Saka and William Saliba after Gabriel Martinelli committed his future to the club on Friday.
The Brazilian has agreed a new four-and-a-half year deal to keep him at the Emirates until the summer of 2027 – though the club have the option to extend it by a further year.
Martinelli has been an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing team this season, alongside Saliba and Saka, who both remain in talks about new and improved contracts, too.
‘Part of the plan obviously is to extend the contracts of our biggest talents at the club and commit them to the future,’ Arteta said.
‘We are trying to do that, we have started with Gabi and that is good news, the others will be done when we can and we have to agree on that.
Gabriel Martinelli has signed a new four-and-a-half year deal with Arsenal
Arsenal now want Bukayo Saka to commit his long-term future to the club
The Gunners are also keen to keep centre-back William Saliba at the Emirates
‘I see everyone really happy and really willing to continue at the club but we have to meet everyone’s expectations and timing is key on that.’
The Premier League leaders travel to Everton on Saturday looking for their first win at Goodison Park under Arteta.
It will be Arsenal’s first game since the end of the January transfer window, when they signed Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and then – on deadline day – Jorginho.
Arteta said on Friday that he has been chasing the former Chelsea midfielder for ‘many years’.
‘We knew that in this market you have to adapt and be flexible and be ready for inconvenience.
‘We had a big one with the latest news on Mo’s (Elneny) injury and we needed a player in that position, he is a player I have always admired, a great character and someone who is going to bring leadership quality and in that position he is going to help the team a lot.
Mikel Arteta is delighted to have signed Jorginho, who could make his debut at Everton
‘It is a player that has always been very close to our intention.’
Arteta added: ‘His intelligence, his personality, his leadership skills and the way he understands our way of playing and the qualities he has to implement that in football matches – he is a player that will fit in really well with what we want to do.’
Neither Trossard nor Jorginho fit into the club’s recent recruitment model of signing younger players.
‘You have to adapt to the circumstances we had,’ the manager said.
‘Obviously, the injury of Mo we had to have a plan that probably wasn’t the case before the injury happened, we have adapted and we have improved the squad.’
Source: Read Full Article