MIKELARTETA believes Arsenal tying down Bukayo Saka to a new contract will underline the strength of the club's long-term project.
Arsenal have an agreement in principle with Saka after a breakthrough in talks during a meeting with his representatives yesterday.
The 21-year-old is set to sign a new long-term contract worth around £200,000 a week and it should be finalised over the coming weeks.
Saka's current deal is due to expire at the end of next season and Arsenal have been working on fresh terms for more than six months.
They have already tied down Gabriel Martinelli to a new contract until 2027 and Arteta believes keeping Saka is further evidence of the Gunners planning for the future.
"We want to keep our best players. The players that we are developing," he said. "We want to create a long-term project here and we need our best players at the club.
This story is from the February 24, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 24, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
I'm focused on first 30 days, hitting the ground running
Mayor sets out aims and claims: working with Labour will be transformative
Zendaya serves an ace (or three) at Met Gala
ZENDAYA showed off a hat-trick of outfits at the Met Gala in New York.
Can Premier League win over fans for a Stateside adventure?
SADIQ KHAN pushing for re-election after promising to bring the Super Bowl to London; the Football Supporters’ Association promising a “full blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle” should a single Premier League match head the other way.
SPURS IGNORE WARNINGS AS THEY SELF-DESTRUCT
TOTTENHAM have been more open and lost by bigger margins this season, but last night’s defeat has to go down as their most alarming display under Ange Postecoglou.
Steidten 'ban' gives Moyes space to focus on rescuing season that risks fizzling out
SINCE arriving at West Ham last summer, technical director Tim Steidten has been a very visible presence at London Stadium on match days.
Odegaard: It's okay to dream, but don't lose your focus
Skipper warns team-mates to guard against complacency
Now saviour Harris is aiming to add sparkle to workmanlike Lions
SINCE Neil Harris was parachuted back into Millwall on a rescue mission in February, only promotion favourites Ipswich have taken more points in the Championship.
I know it sounds wild, but you can't beat Toulouse without scoring a lot of points
DANNY WILSON has devised a \"wild\" plan to outscore global superpower Toulouse in Sunday's Champions Cup semi-final.
London stock market drops out of the top 20 destinations for IPOs
LONDON has today fallen out of the top 20 global IPO destinations of 2024, having raised only as much money as Kazakhstan’s stock market, the Standard can reveal.
Patchy but Dua still produces pop gems
LANDING at exactly the right time to boost the spirits of a nation of bored-senseless lockdowners, Dua Lipa’s second album, Future Nostalgia, didn’t just transform her into the pandemic’s answer to Vera Lynn, it elevated her to the big leagues.
