William Saliba has agreed to sign a new four-year deal with Arsenal, successfully concluding months of contract talks.
The French defender, 22, was instrumental in the Gunners Premier League title charge until injury brought his outstanding season to a premature end in March. During Saliba's recovery from a serious back injury, Arsenal ramped up negotiations amid strong interest from rivals clubs abroad and in England.
Although the highly-rated centre-back is yet to sign his contract in person, he's expected to put pen to paper on a deal which will see him remain at the Emirates until 2027 before pre-season begins, Mirror Football understands.
Boss Mikel Arteta had been desperate to secure Saliba's long-term future, as the Gunners have been doing with various other key players in 2023 such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Ramsdale.
Now Saliba has followed them, having enjoyed a superb campaign after spending his first few seasons as an Arsenal player out loan in his native France. Arteta trusted him from the get-go this term and was immediately rewarded with a series of impressive performances which showed why the Gunners paid Saint-Etienne £27million to sign him in the summer of 2019.
It soon emerged that the 22-year-old was only tied down until next summer and Arsenal chiefs made a move to renew terms. Last month, Arteta admitted that his club were 'doing everything they possibly can' in order to sign Saliba up to a new deal.
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"We want to keep our best talent," the Gunners manager vowed. "Especially the players that deserve some recognition. I think he has been incredible since he came back from his loan period and we want to reward him, that is for sure.
"We will find the right moment to do that. Obviously [technical director] Edu and the board are on top of every negotiation regarding new contracts and now we are doing everything we possibly can to do that in the right moment at the right time. The communication and the relationship is super. It is about timing, I think. Nothing else."
In January, following Arsenal's North London derby victory over Tottenham, Saliba declared: "I am so happy here. The club is speaking with my agent and me, the only thing I can do is (focus on my football). I am so happy here."
Now that talks have ended with a positive outcome, the Gunners can focus on bringing in new signings and bolstering Arteta's squad ahead of next season. It's also understood that the Spaniard is ready to be ruthless in his culling of certain players who aren't deemed at the level required in a bid to finally beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.
