William Saliba signs new four-year contract at Arsenal

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William Saliba signs new four-year contract at Arsenal

William Saliba has signed a new four-year contract at Arsenal to commit his future to the club until 2027.

The 22-year-old has been negotiating a new deal for a number of months, with 90min first revealing back in September 2022 Arsenal's desire to tie him down long-term.

Saliba had returned to Arsenal last summer after spending three years on loan in France with Saint-Etienne, OGC Nice and Marseille. He quickly became a first-team regular under Mikel Arteta, and was instrumental in helping the club challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.

His importance to Arsenal was perhaps highlighted most when he picked up a back injury in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 second leg tie with Sporting CP. The Gunners went on to lose the game, and their Premier League form also dipped as the Frenchman was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

And after earning a place in France's World Cup squad at the tail end of 2022, Saliba has now been rewarded for his progress with a four-year contract that promises to provide a significant rise in wages.

"We are so happy to have signed a new deal with William Saliba," Edu, the club's sporting director, said. "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.”

Arteta, who placed his faith in Saliba last summer when deciding to pair him alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, added: "To have William extend his contract with us was something we have wanted to do for a long time. William proved last season just how good and how important he is to our squad.

"The ability he has at his young age of just 22 is exciting, and there is of course so much more room for development with any player at this stage of their career. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with William in the years to come."

Saliba joins Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in committing his future to Arsenal long-term, while Reiss Nelson also signed a new four-year deal on Thursday. Captain Martin Odegaard is expected to follow suit, rewarding him for a terrific 2022/23 campaign.