William Saliba has already agreed to sign a new contract at Arsenal, according to journalist Freddie Paxton.
The French defender is yet to make an official first-team appearance for the Gunners since completing a £30million move back in the summer of 2019. Instead, he has had three loan spells in Ligue 1, the most recent of which was with Jorge Sampaoli's Marseille - where he was awarded Ligue 1's young player of the year award.
Now, transfer guru Paxton has taken to Twitter to say: "It is my understanding that William Saliba has already agreed a new deal to extend his [Arsenal] contract after positive talks before the US tour. Arsenal pleased with his development and see him as an important part of the future.
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"No word on when an official announcement is expected." Saliba's current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024 but talks of a new deal will be welcome news to Arsenal supporters considering the youngster's stellar performances during pre-season.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has made it no secret of his admiration for the 21-year-old, explaining the club's plan for his development. When he was asked about the commanding centre-back's future after his side's 3-1 win over Orlando City, Arteta said: "We always have a plan, and when we have to execute, that's a different story, and football is a really funny game, but we are really happy to have him.
"You can see the way he's adapted, the way he's matured, and he's playing well, and we are delighted to have him."
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