Declan Rice next to be called for crunch Arsenal meeting after Bukayo Saka talks

Arsenal are closing in on a new long-term contract for Bukayo Saka, and the Gunners have two more players in their sights as they look to tie down their futures

Andrea Berta is plotting to hand out several more long-term contracts once Bukayo Saka commits his future to the club. The Arsenal winger has now entered the final two years of his current deal at the Emirates Stadium, and Mikel Arteta is desperate for him to extend his stay.

The BBC reports that the Gunners have made significant progress in negotiations with Saka over fresh terms, and there's said to be a growing expectation that an agreement will be reached. The 24-year-old winger is set to become one of the club's highest earners.

Berta has already tied down William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly to new deals.

He also arranged improved contracts for David Raya and Leandro Trossard during the summer. When Saliba pledged his future to the Gunners last month, Arteta was quizzed about whether he anticipates Saka doing the same. The Arsenal manager responded: "I would love that.

"From everything that I know, he is a player that is extremely happy, and proud to have the role that he has at the football club. Things will develop in a natural way, like they always do, and everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us. Hopefully, we can do it."

The BBC reports that the former Atletico Madrid sporting director has already identified his next two priorities.

Arsenal have recently begun talks with Jurrien Timber about extending his contract, which is currently set to expire in June 2028, according to the report. Arteta holds the 24-year-old defender in high regard. In April 2024, the Gunners boss singled out Timber as a player with unique qualities.

"Jurrien is a main one because he has a quality that nobody else has in the backline to actually affect," Arteta stated. "Especially in the attacking phases, things that we do, in both positions or three positions."

It's rumoured that Berta could soon shift his focus to Declan Rice, who also has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract. When Arsenal secured the signature of the former West Ham captain in July 2023, Arteta was full of praise.

"He is a player that is already excellent, so we have to make sure that we don’t make him worse," said the Spaniard ahead of the Community Shield. "We want him to put on the quality and abilities that he has and let him express his personality and the way he thinks about the game in the right way.

"If we can help him with a few things, that's what we will try to do, but we'll try to accommodate his qualities into the team to be better. His leadership skills are unquestionable.

"When you meet him and you spend the first five minutes with him, you get the feeling and impression that he's someone who is going to help so much, with the dressing room and the approach that we want to take into games and have the initiative in our way of living.

"Things take time and they have to be natural, but if it has to happen, it will happen.."