Contract renewals for Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and William Saliba are all expected to be on the agenda this year, according to a report.

The Athletic report that new contracts for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are a priority, and Arsenal will also be in a position where they arguably need to renew or sell William Saliba this summer.

The good news is that The Athletic add that Saliba is currently intending to return to Arsenal next season and compete for a first-team place.

But there’s no indication yet of whether he’ll be willing to sign a new deal.

This report follows Football.London’s claims this week that Arsenal will look to reward Saka’s progress by offering him a contract extension at the end of the season.

The winger currently has a deal lasting to 2024 (like Martinelli and Saliba, though Martinelli has an option in his deal to extend to 2025), but Saka’s proposed new contract would reflect his role as one of the team’s key players.

One of the benefits of Arsenal’s recent trimming of the squad, with more departures expected in the summer, is that they have more money to play with in contract negotiations.

Ideally, much of that will be used on incomings, particularly in midfield and up front. But there should also be funds available to extend the contracts of players like Saka, Martinelli, and Saliba.

Former Arsenal academy striker Stephy Mavididi, who has been performing excellently in Ligue 1 this season, had a lot praise for Saliba recently.

“He’s hands down one of the best defenders in the league,” Mavididi said. “I think he’ll walk back into the Arsenal team next season.

“When I played against him, I thought ‘how is this guy not at Arsenal?'”