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Mikel Arteta coy on William Saliba contract extension

Mikel Arteta coy on William Saliba contract extension
© Reuters
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains tight-lipped when asked for an update on contract talks with centre-back William Saliba.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has remained tight-lipped over the possibility of a contract extension for William Saliba.

The 21-year-old was handed the Man of the Match award on his Premier League debut in Friday's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace after an impressive pre-season period for the Gunners.

Saliba's outing at Selhurst Park represented his first competitive appearance in Arsenal colours three years after his arrival from Saint-Etienne, whom he has been loaned back to alongside Nice and Marseille.

Les Olympiens tried and failed to sign the France international on a permanent basis, and he is now seeking to make a name for himself at the North London club.

Saliba's contract at the Emirates runs until the summer of 2024, but there has been talk of the North London club looking to extend his deal to ward off interest from suitors.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on August 5, 2022© Reuters

When asked for an update on contract talks with Saliba ahead of Saturday's game against Leicester City, Arteta hailed the centre-back's adaptation to the Premier League but refused to give anything away with regards to ongoing discussions.

"The players really like him because he's so willing to be talked through anything, be coached and his aim is to get better," Arteta told reporters.

"The first impression was really positive. As you said, his body language, his presence and the confidence that he was acting with, he was very mature.

"We will address all these issues. Edu and the board will be addressing all the issues that you can possibly face. We want players who will be happy here."

Saliba will aim to keep his place in the backline against the Foxes, where Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu all have chances of featuring after returning to first-team training.

Reiss Nelson in action for Arsenal in July 2022© Reuters

However, Arteta admitted "bad news" over Reiss Nelson's injury, with the 22-year-old potentially facing a couple of months on the sidelines with a quadriceps injury.

Arsenal have already spent big to sign Matt Turner, Vieira, Marquinhos, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer, but Arteta has left the door open for the club to make more signings.

"We are still willing to finalise the squad the way we want. We can add in something great but there are a few players that we have to find the right game time for, at the moment it's going to be difficult," Arteta added.

When asked about reports linking Kieran Tierney with a move to Manchester City, Arteta added: "No [I haven't heard about it] and you know I'm not going to comment on individual cases."

Arsenal will aim to start their season with back-to-back wins when they play host to Leicester at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon.

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