Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel are poised to stay at the Emirates Stadium after they both committed their futures, with Mikel Arteta gifted a huge boost by their ongoing presence in the Gunners backline.

William Saliba agrees new Arsenal deal after Gabriel

Gabriel put pen to paper on an extension all the way back in June, which will keep him at the club until 2029, and it was one of Andrea Berta’s first major contract announcements after he replaced Edu in March.

Now, after months of uncertainty, talks and a rejected first proposal, his central defensive partner Saliba has also agreed to pen a new deal.

Appearances

4

Minutes played

275

Clean sheets

2

Tackles made

8

Interceptions

3

Ground duels won

21/29

Aerial duels won

10

Clearances

18

via Footy Stats

Real Madrid were lingering in the background with the Frenchman’s previous contract due to expire in 2027, but Arteta was handed some very good news this week when news broke of Saliba’s decision to stay.

The 24-year-old is set to sign an extension until 2030, with journalist Dean Jones reporting that it could make Saliba the club’s highest earner on around £300,000-per-week.

It is a serious statement of intent from Berta, who has sent a clear message to the rest of Europe that Arsenal will no longer be bullied into selling their best players.

Since the very start of 2022/2023, Saliba and Gabriel have established themselves as one of the best centre-back partnerships in world football, and keeping both of them comes as an absolutely massive boost for Arsenal.

“I’ve been really impressed with them,” said Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards last year.

“They’ve got everything, haven’t they? They’ve got physicality, speed, power, but they’re very well coached and obviously they understand the game.

“They can play pretty well as well with the ball so they’ve almost got the lot. It’s Arsenal Football Club and you would expect that as well. They’ve got such power and athleticism, and they’re a big reason why they suffocate teams as well. They can lock on and be really aggressive and compete in any which way.

“If you want a fight, they have a physical battle and also they can play as well so they tick pretty much every single box.”

Now, as per reliable club insider ‘HandOfArsenal’ on X, the pair actually had a secret pact all along, and Berta is lining up another statement move immediately after securing Saliba.

Saliba and Gabriel's secret Arsenal pact as Berta lines up Saka deal

It is believed that the centre-backs agreed to stay at Arsenal and win trophies for many years, with the pact happening as far back as the summer. Meanwhile, Berta is swiftly set to commence work on agreeing a new deal with star winger Bukayo Saka.

With Saliba and Gabriel’s intentions crystal clear, it is believed that Arsenal won’t run into too much trouble with regard to Saka either.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs and GiveMeSport, Saka has made it clear he wants to sign an extension with Arsenal, so it is up to Berta to negotiate the required terms and keep their £195,000-per-week star.

Noni Madueke’s knee injury means that Arteta will need to call upon Saka much more regularly than he’d like, considering the England international is only just back from injury himself, but his importance to Arsenal cannot be understated.