Mikel Arteta speaks on William Saliba's Arsenal future

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the club are in the process of negotiating a new contract with William Saliba.

The Frenchman joined the Gunners from Saint-Etienne three years ago but had to wait until this season to make his debut for them.

He has since been a consistent performer in central defence and the club are now looking to secure his long-term future.

His current deal expires in the summer of 2024, but Arteta is optimistic that the centre-back will put pen-to-paper on a renewal.

He told Arsenal.com: "Willy is one of them. I think he's shown in the months that he's been with us the quality and the personality he has to play at the level that we want. We are trying to do that because we know he can be a really important part of our plans."

Aside from Saliba, the Gunners are in talks over contract extensions for Gabriel Martinelli as well as Bukayo Saka.