Arsenal defender William Saliba has reportedly put pen to paper on a new four-year deal with the club.
After failing to break into the first team for three years following his arrival from Saint-Etienne last summer, Saliba was hailed as one of the Premier League's best defenders last term.
The France international was integral to the Gunners' unexpected title charge, registering three goals and one assist in 33 appearances across all competitions before sustaining a season-ending back injury.
Without Saliba marshalling the defence, Arsenal suffered a dramatic downturn in fortunes towards the end of the season, winning just five of their final 11 Premier League games to finish second behind Manchester City.
However, that podium finish was enough to seal the Gunners' return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season, and Mikel Arteta has been pushing hard to retain his young talent ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
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New contracts for Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli have already been announced, but tying Saliba down to fresh terms has proven trickier.
The 22-year-old would have been able to depart on a free transfer at the end of next season, and his camp were believed to have been pushing for an extortionate wage packet, but the two parties finally reached an agreement in principle last month.
Now, journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Saliba has officially signed his new Arsenal deal, and an announcement is expected in due course.
Romano adds that Saliba's deal also includes an option to extend his stay until the summer of 2028, and he will snub reported interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain to continue in red and white.
Prior to making his competitive first-team debut, Saliba was loaned out to Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille, excelling with the latter during their second-placed finish in the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign.
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Saliba was subsequently named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, and Marseille made no secret of their desire to sign him on a permanent basis, but he opted against staying in his homeland to make a name for himself at Arsenal.
As well as the centre-back, Arsenal are also believed to have tied Reiss Nelson down to a new four-year deal, while captain Martin Odegaard is set for talks over fresh terms too.
In addition to their plethora of contract renewals, Arsenal are embarking on a lavish summer spending spree and are on the brink of sealing deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber.
The Gunners have finally agreed a payment structure with West Ham United over Rice's £105m switch, while Timber will soon undergo a medical ahead of a £38.5m transfer.
Arsenal have already added Kai Havertz to their midfield ranks in a £65m deal from Chelsea, and focus could soon turn to outgoings, with Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, Nicolas Pepe and Rob Holding among those who could seek pastures new.
Ben Knapton
