It's been a great month so far for Arsenal. The Gunners had already secured the signing of Kai Havertz coming into July, but it is now a matter of time before deals for Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice are confirmed, with the pair having their medicals at London Colney on Friday.
Far from just being a positive few days when it comes to bringing players in though, there's also good news when it comes to holding on to those who are at the Emirates Stadium already. On Thursday Reiss Nelson committed his long term future to the Gunners by signing a four-year deal with the option for a further 12 months, when it had seemed for a while that he was destined to leave.
Now William Saliba has followed suit, committing himself to the Gunners until 2027. It's certainly a change from the past Arsenal fans had grown used to.
There is a certain amount of trauma attached to every contract negotiation at Arsenal. For years after the Gunners moved into the Emirates Stadium, top talent came and went. Arsenal were able to identify some of the best young talents in the world, but holding on to them proved to be an altogether different proposition.
Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Alex Song were just a few of the names to depart as Arsenal struggled to compete financially with England Europe's big boys.
Even when the financial burden of the stadium move began to ease, player retention was still a massive issue for Arsenal. Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey were among several names allowed to dwindle down their contracts and leave. Now though things are changing.
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Reputations are everything in football, and under the reign of Edu Gaspar, Arsenal have been able to transition from a side from whom the best talent in the world could be poached, to one where the best players are simply not for sale. It began arguably with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. As the Gabon international established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League it seemed he would follow the path of those Arsenal stars who had come before him. Instead though he stayed.
While that deal did not exactly go to plan, Aubameyang's extension heralded a new era at Arsenal. From that point on it's hard to think of a contract negotiation the Gunners have entered into where they have not come away with their desired outcome.
Folarin Balogun, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel, Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and now Saliba have all been retained. Talks with Martin Odegaard and Ben White are next in line as Edu looks to continue that approach.
“We are so happy to have signed a new deal with William Saliba," the Brazilian said after Saliba's deal was confirmed. "William is part of our vision to keep our talented young players, who will hopefully be successful with us for many years to come, so that we can grow and progress together. I know the supporters will be just as happy as we are to see William continue with us in the future.”
Many will focus on Arsenal's big spending over the past few summers, but the reality is that it's much easier to keep a hold of your best talent than it is to replace them. The Gunners want to get back to their self-sustaining model eventually, and Edu's skills in the contract negotiation department will be a key part of that.
As Arsenal look to sustain the brilliance of Mikel Arteta, ensuring that he's able to continue working with the most brilliant of players. Saliba is the latest in a run of success the Gunners have had in player retention, and there are no signs that that will be stopping any time soon.
