Gabriel Martinelli has agreed a new contract at Arsenal as the Premier League leaders look to tie down their prized assets.
The Gunners have enjoyed a sensational start to the season with their young players taking on leading roles. Martinelli, 21, has continued to blossom in north London after arriving as an unknown quantity back in the summer of 2019.
Martinelli's contract is due to expire at the end of next season, but there is the option to extend it for another year. In an update which will be welcomed among the Emirates Stadium faithful, the player has agreed a new deal which will run until 2027, as per The Athletic.
The 21-year-old had previously made his feelings known as he underlined his desire to remain at the Emirates. He said in November: “I am very happy at Arsenal. I said it many times, I love to be here. I love the city, I love everything about Arsenal, so I want to stay. Yeah, [I] just need to get a pen.”
Martinelli has scored seven times this term, starting in every league game to underline his importance. Attention behind the scenes at the Emirates is set to turn to some of Arsenal's other young stars whose contracts are also winding down. Bukayo Saka and William Saliba face uncertain futures at the Gunners.
Saliba's deal has recently been extended via a 12-month clause triggered by his employers. The Frenchman, who spent several loan spells away in Ligue 1, has slotted straight into the heart of the Arsenal defence and is another of those to start every league game.
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Negotiations regarding Saka's future continue, but nothing is yet signed. The forward, who scored in last weekend's win over Manchester United, has a contract that runs until 2024 due to Arsenal triggering another 12-month extension. The England star earns £70,000 but could be about to treble his pay packet.
Mikel Arteta said back in August: “I am very confident that we as a club and Bukayo and his family and agent are all aligned and now it’s about putting that on a piece of paper. I would like that to get done because I don’t want players to be distracted in the season. But those things take time.”
The situations surrounding some of Arsenal's key men are going on whilst they're pushing for a first league title in almost two decades. The Gunners hold a five-point lead at the top of the table with a game in hand as they look to cause a huge upset.
