Arsenal 'almost in' on new deal for "world class" star in major boost to Arteta

Arsenal ‘almost in’ on new deal for “world class” star in major boost to Arteta

Arsenal is nearing an agreement with Aaron Ramsdale on a new contract as the team aims to build on its success this season.

The Gunners travel to Newcastle on Sunday, four points behind Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, despite having played one more game than their title rivals.

However, victory will be difficult to come through on Tyneside. Newcastle have won eight of their previous nine Premier League games and are on track to qualify for the Champions League.

Of course, considering Manchester City’s dominance, it appears doubtful that Arsenal will win their first title in 19 years this season.

In turn, the Gunners are looking ahead to next season, having been linked with big-money deals for Declan Rice and Moussa Diaby in the summer.

Arteta is also searching for new contracts for the club’s most valuable player.

Aaron Ramsdale is nearing a new contract.

Aaron Ramsdale, rated as “world-class” by the BBC’s Garth Crooks earlier this season, is close to signing a new contract with Arsenal, along with star winger Bukayo Saka.

“Arteta wants to retain a young British core,” stated Telegraph journalist Sam Dean, “with Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale both close to agreeing new contracts.”

Despite a recent slump in play, Ramsdale has been dominant for the majority of the season, with 12 clean sheets in 34 Premier League matches.

However, there is still a lot of ambiguity around William Saliba’s future.

“Arsenal have yet to make significant progress in contract negotiations with William Saliba,” Dean tweeted.

“Arteta says it’s an issue of ‘timing’ and insists that [Arsenal] are ‘doing everything we possibly can’”.

The France international’s current contract finishes in 2024, giving him just over a year left on it.

Saliba has been out with a back injury since March and will miss the game against Newcastle this weekend. It’s unclear whether the 22-year-old will play again this season.

“Not a lot of progress,” Arteta said of Saliba’s fitness. “He’s feeling better every day but he’s not been able still to have any activity around the first team so we don’t expect him to be with us.”