Arsenal secure huge ‘long-term’ contract ‘agreement’ to add to impending Declan Rice capture

Arsenal may be about to complete one of their signings of the summer - and it’s not Declan Rice.

The Gunners look set to complete a move for the West Ham United skipper in the coming days after agreeing a deal worth £105million with their London rivals. It’s a bold statement from Mikel Arteta and the Gunners, who want to bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City ahead of the coming season.

More new arrivals are expected, but it’s not just incoming Arteta and Edu have to take care of ahead of the new campaign.

Arsenal also have contract business to sort out, and they started the summer with a bang in that respect, tying Bukayo Saka down to a new long-term deal. The next on the list was always going to be centre-back William Saliba, whose current contract is set to expire in 2024, albeit Arsenal have an option to unilaterally extend the deal by one year.

The Gunners have had to step carefully around Saliba given the Frenchman wasn’t given the best start to life at Arsenal. Saliba was loaned out three times before finally getting his first-team opportunity, and he took it, becoming a key part of Arteta’s back-line alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.

A new contract has now been offered, though, and it seems an agreement has been in place for some time, with Arsenal foreseeing the problems they might have with the centre-back if they were to fail to get their ducks in line ahead of the summer transfer window.

Fabrizio Romano has tweeted: “ William Saliba will sign official new long term contract with Arsenal very soon. It’s just matter of time — agreement sealed one month ago. #AFC Deal until June 2027 with option for further season.”

That’s a huge boost for Arteta as he looks to plan long term at the Emirates Stadium.