William Saliba and Reiss Nelson sign new Arsenal contracts

William Saliba and Reiss Nelson have both signed new Arsenal contracts in a further boost to Mikel Arteta ahead of the new season.

Official confirmation of both new deals is expected soon, with Saliba and Nelson joining the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Ramsdale in committing their long-term futures to the club in recent months.

Saliba’s new contract is massive for Arsenal and brings to an end months of prolonged talks with the centre-back.

The Frenchman’s previous deal was due to expire in the summer of 2024 and had he not agreed to sign fresh terms, Arsenal would have had to make a difficult decision over his future at some point this summer.

But now they can plan for the long-term with the 22-year-old, whose new four-year deal has the option for a further year, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

Saliba had a hugely impressive debut season in the Premier League last time out and his absence due to a back injury over the final couple of months of the campaign was viewed by many as the reason why Arsenal ultimately lost out to Manchester City in the title race.

“When he [Saliba] plays, we concede few goals, when he doesn’t play, the number [of goals conceded] increases,” Gabriel Jesus during an interview with ex-Brazil star Denilson.

“When I got injured, Eddie [Nketiah] replaced me very well. Then we signed Leo [Trossard] and we kept the pace. But when Saliba got injured, it was complicated.

“The other defenders are good, but we were playing in a certain way. Look at the stats we concede a lot less with him”

Like Saliba, who has now returned to training following his back injury, Nelson has also signed a new contract. 

The winger, who was wanted by AC Milan, took his time this summer before making a decision on his future and held extensive talks with Arteta before agreeing to put pen to paper.

Nelson’s new deal will run until 2027.