It had already begun in the past few days: Arsenal FC extended the contract with William Saliba by another year. A clause in the contract made an automatic extension possible. Talks about a long-term deal should follow soon.

The central defender position is no longer a construction site at Arsenal. Under Mikel Arteta (40), William Saliba (21) and Gabriel Magalhães (25) have established themselves as a set duo. In this constellation, the Gunners have only conceded twelve goals this season. Achievements are rewarded. Arsenal FC plans with Saliba for the future.

On Saturday morning, the club announced that William Saliba's contract would be extended by a year. A clause in the Frenchman's contract made an automatic extension by twelve months possible by the end of the year. Those responsible for the Gunners have drawn this option in the past few days. Saliba's contract now runs until June 2024. As Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic report, talks about a long-term deal should start soon.

Saliba joined Arsenal from AS Saint-Étienne in the summer of 2019 for a whopping €30m. The Frenchman could not assert himself in the first seasons, so he was loaned to France three times. First he returned to Saint-Étienne, then to OGC Nice and in the 21/22 season he played for Olympique Marseille. In the meantime, Saliba has already been called a flop. This designation has been obsolete since the summer. As defensive boss at Arsenal FC, Saliba had even secured a place in the squad for the French national team for the 2022 World Cup.

Arsenal FC also drew the same clause as with Saliba with midfield jewel Charlie Patino. The 19-year-old's contract originally ran until June 2024. Patino is now tied to the Gunners for another twelve months. The Englishman is currently on loan at Blackpool FC. In the Championship, the second English division, Patino collects match practice. The return to London is planned for the summer.

This article was originally pulled on 90min.com/de as an option: Arsenal FC extended by one year with top star.