Mazeed Ogungbo has become the latest player to sign a new contract with Arsenal after his old deal expired in June.

When Arsenal came to the end of June, they had five academy players with futures still up in the air: Kido Taylor-Hart, Arthur Okonkwo, Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Ovie Ejeheri, and Mazeed Ogungbo.

First Okonkwo committed his future, then Taylor-Hart, and now Ogungbo has followed suit, with Arsenal announcing the youngster’s new professional deal on Tuesday.

Previous reports had suggested that a deal was in place for Ogungbo, and he’d been featuring with the u23s in pre-season, so this isn’t a huge shock. It’s just good to have confirmation that the 18-year-old defender is sticking around.

The youngster said of the contract: “I’m just so excited and so grateful to Arsenal that they’ve given me this opportunity. To be able to extend my time here is a real honour and I’m really excited for what the future holds here.”

Ogungbo made 20 appearances for Arsenal this season, scoring three goals. He primarily featured for the u18s in 2020/21, but given his age, he will now be stepping up to the Arsenal u23s full-time.

Ogungbo can play at left-back and centre-back, but he’ll probably get the most chances on the left this season, as there’s a bit of an opening on that side.

As for the two players remaining out of contract, it looks as if Ovie Ejeheri is extending, as he’s another featuring regularly in pre-season.

Nathan Butler-Oyedeji’s future remains unclear, and he’s in individual training at the moment. We know Arsenal have made him an offer, but it looks as if he’s considering his options.