Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful that the club's "super" relationship with William Saliba's camp will help to push a new contract for the 22-year-old over the line.
Saliba was scouted by the Gunners during the Unai Emery era and signed in a £27m deal in 2019, although he was sent straight back out on loan to Saint-Etienne for the forthcoming season.
Upon Arteta's arrival, Saliba was not deemed ready for the step-up to the Premier League and enjoyed a productive six months at Nice after fleeting appearances for the Gunners' Under-23s.
A season-long loan spell at Marseille followed, where the centre-back continued to go from strength to strength, helping Les Olympiens finish second and winning the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year in the process.
With Marseille fighting tooth and nail to sign Saliba permanently, there were fears that the centre-back could have departed Arsenal without making a single senior appearance for the North London club, but he elected to stay and fight for his place in England.
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Arteta's management of Saliba has worked perfectly, as the 22-year-old was regarded as one of the Premier League's leading centre-backs in his breakthrough year before sustaining a back injury in March.
Arsenal risked losing Saliba on a free transfer this summer, but the Gunners recently activated a one-year option in his contract until 2024 as negotiations continue over a long-term renewal.
It was reported last year that the centre-back's entourage were not satisfied with the wage packet on offer, but Arteta is optimistic that talks will eventually yield a positive solution.
"We want to keep our best talent. Especially the players that deserve some recognition. I think he has been incredible since he came back from his loan period and we want to reward him, that is for sure. We will find the right moment to do that," Arteta told a press conference last week.
"Obviously Edu and the board are on top of every negotiation regarding new contracts and now we are doing everything we possibly can to do that in the right moment at the right time. The communication and the relationship is super. It is about timing, I think. Nothing else."
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Saliba has come up with three goals and one assist in 33 games for Arsenal during the 2022-23 campaign and started 27 successive Premier League matches before entering the treatment room against Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League.
The France international has sat out each of the Gunners' last eight contests amid growing concerns that he could miss the remainder of the season, but Arteta is not giving up hope of a possible return before the month is up.
Saliba's absence has coincided with Arsenal losing control of the Premier League title race, as they have won just four of their last eight top-flight games while keeping only one clean sheet.
However, that solitary shutout came in Sunday's 2-0 win over third-placed Newcastle United, which saw Arsenal close the gap to Manchester City - who have a game in hand - to just one point.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli have both put pen to paper on new deals with Arsenal this season, and renewals are expected to follow for Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale in the coming months.
Ben Knapton
