Arsenal are set to offer four of their best young players new contracts in the coming weeks as they look to safeguard their future, according to Fabrizio Romano.
In the Italian transfer specialist’s latest YouTube update, he focused on the big news that Arsenal have returned to Shakhtar Donetsk with a second, improved, bid for Ukrainian wonderkid Mykhailo Mudryk.
The 21-year-old, dubbed the “Ukrainian Neymar”, could soon arrive to bolster Mikel Arteta’s Gunners squad. Arsenal are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and their title challenge looks increasingly credible by the week.
“This new official bid is more than €50million guaranteed, so Arsenal have made this new proposal and are waiting for Shakhtar Donetsk to reply and to decide,” Romano confirmed.
“Let me clarify one thing; on the player’s side, there are no problems with personal terms because Mudryk reached an agreement with Arsenal in around five minutes.
“He would love to join Arsenal and he dreams of the Premier League but the timing is important – it’s the January transfer window, not summer, and the clubs are very fast when they act.”
The club already boast the youngest squad in the English top flight and the addition of yet another talented young prospect should see them in a strong position to compete for the years to come.
But Arsenal are also looking to protect some of their star assets.
Romano confirmed that Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Charlie Patino – who is impressing out on loan at Blackpool – new deals.
Saliba, 21, has been hugely impressive for Arsenal since returning from his loan at Marseille.
Arsenal recently exercised their option to trigger a one-year extension of his current deal, meaning it now runs until 2024. But the club are actively looking to give the France international a new deal that runs further into the future.
“We have a few of those where we are willing to extend the contract. William is one of them,” said Arteta last week.
“In the months he’s been with us, he’s shown the quality and the personality he has to play at the level that we want.
“We are trying to do that because we know that he can be a really important part of our plans.”
Arsenal also triggered the extension to Saka’s contract, which now runs until 2024. But it’s now a top priority to tie down their homegrown superstar.
“It’s important to mention Bukayo Saka,” said Romano.
“Because after William Saliba, after Charlie Patino, Arsenal have triggered the option to extend Saka’s contract for one more year.
“But Arsenal – for Saka, Martinelli, Saliba and Patino – will offer them a new long-term contract. It’s one of their missions for 2023 to extend, with long-term contracts, Saka, Martinelli and Saliba as priorities, and also Patino, for their future.”
SOURCE: planetfootball.com
