Arsenal are preparing for further contract negotiations with key players after agreeing a new contract with Bukayo Saka. According to a reporter from The Athletic, the 24-year-old will extend his current contract, which was due to end in June 2027, on a five-year deal with improved terms.
Saka has been touted as Arsenal’s franchise player and his status will be reflected in his new contract, which is likely to include a significant pay rise. But he is not the only important player for Mikel Arteta, with the Arsenal manager hoping sporting director Andrea Berta can replicate his success.
In addition to his successful first transfer window with the club, Berta also successfully negotiated new contracts with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly.
According to Football London, the Gunners are keen to agree contract extensions for Julian Timber and Declan Rice, following Saka’s extension.
Rice’s current contract expires in the summer of 2028, but he has an option to extend it for another year.
Meanwhile, The Times reports that Arsenal are close to signing Timber on a new contract. Negotiations are also being planned with Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Mikel Merino, whose current contracts expire in 2028.
It’s not just key players who have to make contractual decisions, Arteta himself is nearing the final year of the three-year contract he signed in 2024.
When asked about extending his term last month, the Spaniard suggested securing Premier League honors this season would help decide his future.
He said: “A lot has to happen in the next few months to earn the rights. I think the manager has to earn the rights to be here tomorrow.”
“It’s how you react, how you talk here, how you act in the locker room, the messages you send and how well the players follow you.
“I’ve always said we need support and I’ve said it before. From the owners’ and board’s point of view, that’s great. At the end of the day, it’s the players that matter most.”
“When you open the door and confront them and talk to them, they look like this (the pantomime with their mouths open) or they look like this (the pantomime is sleeping).
“And for six years, I have only seen players with a certain level of attentiveness and a desire to learn, who contribute the most to the team. That is why I continue to do this job. There is nothing else.”
“And obviously, I think winning a lot of football games is pretty high percentage-wise. That’s the only way. Otherwise, you can’t survive in this environment.”
