Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s decision to award new contracts to the core of the first team squad will ensure club stability in the years to come.
When the Spaniard took over four years ago, the Gunners were regularly guilty of allowing star players to enter the final year of their contracts before agreeing new terms. It often led to poor deals being made and constant rumour-mongering in the press that did nothing for morale.
Over the course of the last six transfer windows, everything has been turned on its head. Thanks to diligent and decisive work by Sporting Director Edu, a young and hungry group of players are set to stay at the Emirates for the long term.
Only three players, all over 30, could leave for free in the summer; Cedric Soares, Jorginho and Mo Elneny. Meanwhile, the likes of William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are contracted until 2027. Those tied down until 2026, including Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, are now being reviewed.
“Yes, that’s what we’ve been doing in the past few years,” said Arteta when asked about the policy in his pre-Wolves press conference.
“Apart from strengthening the squad as well, rewards and having stability in the squad. Those decisions are very important obviously.
On whether this level of organisation helps, he continued: “It does, because those players have deserved the new deals with the performances and the way they’ve behaved.
“It also gives us stability as well – they are at a brilliant age as well and there is still much more to come from them, and that was the initial plan.
“But it’s something that they have earned, it has made the squad much stronger and credit as well to Edu, the board and everybody that planned those sequences as well, to get them at the right time to compete evolving the squad in the right way.”
Clearly, the hope is that a squad that grows together will have success on the pitch in the coming years.
“For sure, without top players, without a top-quality squad in this league and the demands that we have, it’s impossible to do it and that’s what we’re trying to build and evolve, and be better and more precise with what we need to make a big impact with those decisions.”
Contracts renewed for our starting XI and buying a goal machine or preparing Martinelli to develop into that. Wenger would have been talking about a plan for him to move to the middle.
I still have hopes Martinelli becomes King Henry II.
I don’t think we’re being set up as a team that would benefit from a traditional “goal machine” 9. Everything points towards a setup that requires a 9 that brings others into play. As much as I like and rate Eddie he cannot do the same job as Jesus does to link play, press and create general havoc. The whole set up is impingement on what Jesus brings to the team. If we put haaland into our side do you think we’d see the best of Saka or Martinelli in the same way we do when Jesus pulls defences all… Read more »
Gabriel Jesus is a fantastic player, but Martinelli and Saka are world class in their own right and I’m sure they would adjust to any top performer in that position. The idea that they can only play with Jesus up front has more to do with Nketiah’s struggles than anything else – both were superb in Trossard’s time at #9 last season and both got their international debuts based on their performances next to Lacazette as teenagers.
Martinelli seems to be struggling so far adjusting to Eddie.
Problem for GM is that there is no fluid pod there to work with. Havetrz is still getting up to speed and there is no overlapping fullback. Saka has Odegaard and White/Tomiyasu.
I didn’t suggest they can only play with Jesus – I said we are not set up to play with a traditional no.9, we’re more set up for a no.9 who brings wingers into play
If you look a little deeper, Richard Garlick has improved our negotiating skills and contracts immeasurably.
Just take a moment, and appreciate how well this club is now being run now. I mean seriously, we were a joke, now we’re a model for others to follow.
Ask chelsea
Their players are already in the retirement mood
And our Captain MØ as been renewed as well ✨️