Myles Lewis-Skelly is set to sign a new contract at Arsenal, becoming the second player to commit their future to the North London club this summer.
Gabriel Magalhaes signed a new four-year deal earlier this month, receiving a significant pay rise in the process.
This was Andrea Berta’s first piece of business as the Gunners’ new sporting director, and rumour has it the Italian is intent on securing the futures of several players this summer.
Lewis-Skelly will become the latest Arsenal squad member to put pen to paper, with the teenager expected to sign a new long-term deal in N5.
After tying down the Hale End graduate, here are four more players Berta needs to make sure are on new deals by the end of the summer.
William Saliba
Perhaps the most pressing matter on the contract front for Arsenal is William Saliba.
Saliba is supposedly a target for Real Madrid, and there are fears that the Spanish giants could look to repeat their Trent Alexander-Arnold feat and secure him on a free transfer in two years when his current deal expires.
That said, tying him down would prevent this from taking place in the near future, and there is optimism that the player is happy to stay at Arsenal.
The Frenchman has become an indispensable figure at the back for the Gunners, and thus, losing him would be a significant blow.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has two years left on his deal and is currently earning a purported £195,000-a-week base wage.
This salary isn’t reflective of his standing in the squad, or indeed world football, and he therefore needs a significant financial bump to ensure he doesn’t grow interested in moving elsewhere.
Given that other top clubs in Europe have world-class wingers at their disposal already, this threat shouldn’t be too imminent, and thus, this should be a relatively straightforward deal for Berta to get over the line.
Additionally, Saka is also understood to be happy and enjoying life at Arsenal.
Ethan Nwaneri
Like Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri has a year remaining on his current contract, and the Gunners are therefore desperate to secure his future.
Arsenal Insider revealed back in May that Arsenal were somewhat concerned by Nwaneri’s situation, with the youngster reluctant to sign due to the competition for places in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Manchester City and Liverpool are also lurking in the background, eyeing a potential swoop for the 18-year-old.
However, the situation appears a lot healthier now, with Nwaneri said to be close to putting pen to paper.
Takehiro Tomiyasu
A surprise inclusion on this list given his injury issues, but Takehiro Tomiyasu is arguably in need of a new contract to protect him from leaving for free next summer.
Tomiyasu is expected to return to full fitness later this year and should be a part of Arsenal’s squad next season.
Thus, he may end up playing an integral role, and then opt to leave for nothing at the end of the campaign.
By extending his current deal, Arsenal can still look to sell him in 12 months’ time, when his stock could well be high again, depending on how prominent a role he plays.
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