'We're all working on it': Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on new contracts for key trio

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba have played starring roles in the Gunners' scintillating start to the season

Posted Thursday, October 06, 2022 by fourfourtwo.com

Arsenal(opens in new tab) boss Mikel Arteta says that contract extensions for Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba.

The 21-year-old trio have been instrumental in the Gunners' superb start to 2022/23, which has them top of the Premier League with seven wins from eight games – the latest of which saw them beat Tottenham(opens in new tab) 3-1 in the North London derby.

Saka, Martinelli and Saliba are all out contract in June 2024, and Arteta has confirmed that the club are "working on" new deals.

Speaking to the media ahead of Thursday's Europa League encounter with Bodo/Glimt, Arteta said(opens in new tab):

"Obviously, we have to plan for the future and we are all working on it. [Technical director] Edu is on top of it, and all of the board – and we'll try to do things in the right way, being fair, and trying to plan the best possible way and reward the players that in our opinion have a big future for the club. When we have something to announce, we will do that."

While Saka has been a mainstay of the Arsenal team for the past three years, Martinelli and Saliba have only established themselves more recently – with the latter not making his Gunners debut until the opening day of this season, after a succession of loan spells back in France.

Arsenal won the first game of their Europa League campaign 2-1 away to Zurich, before their scheduled second group match with PSV was postponed due to a lack of available police in London after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Arteta is bound to rotate heavily against Bodo/Glimt, especially with Liverpool(opens in new tab) next up at the Emirates Stadium in the league on Sunday.