Arsenal kick off summer with contract extensions
Adam Perry
Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring their second goal against Everton - Credit: PA
With the 2021/22 campaign at a close, the busy summer months await, and with that comes a flurry of early Arsenal transfer news.
The biggest news since Arsenal’s 5-1 final-day victory over Everton is that Eddie Nketiah is reportedly set to stay with the Gunners and has put pen to paper on a new five-year-deal.
The Englishman’s current contract is set to expire at the end of June but after a strong end to the season, a run as the starting striker has seemingly persuaded Nketiah to remain in North London.
Nketiah spent the majority of the season being deployed in the cups or in the final 15 minutes of Premier League games, but a breakthrough in April saw him start the remaining eight games in the league, bagging himself five goals along the way.
It meant Nketiah finished the season scoring 0.55 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League, a total which puts him ninth in the competition in the 2021/22 campaign, level with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and just behind Liverpool's Diogo Jota.
Whilst he has not had much opportunity to impress during his time in senior football, the 23-year-old Nketiah has proven he has an eye for goal, and even though he will likely be behind a new striker signing in the pecking order next season, a return to European competition should provide him plenty of game time.
Another player who came to the fore during the end of the season was Egypt midfielder Mohammed Elneny, deputising for the injured Thomas Partey and providing much needed stability at the base of Arsenal’s midfield.
Arsenal's Mohamed Elneny (left) and Manchester United's Jesse Lingard battle for the ball at the Emirates Stadium - Credit: PA
Most Read
- 1 Police called to 'youth with knife trying to climb school gates'
- 2 'Reclaiming public spaces': Islington's free nonconformist street party
- 3 Jailed: 9 north London offenders put behind bars in June
- 4 New Aldi on Old Street to open this month
- 5 Concerts to be held across Islington as festival returns.
- 6 Islington men charged after jewellery store robbery
- 7 What to see in the sky in July: Year's biggest supermoon and meteor showers
- 8 Guilty: 4 teenagers admit 27 offences after series of 19 robberies
- 9 MP steps in to get Ukrainian violinist to concert with Islington orchestra
- 10 The Rolling Stones prove rock ‘n’ roll is alive and kicking at Hyde Park
Elneny’s performances have seen him sign an extension, keeping him at the club to provide depth to cope with the increase in games next season.
Alongside extensions, Arsenal are preparing for a host of loan players to return with Alex Runarsson, Hector Bellerin, Pablo Mari, William Saliba, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson and Folarin Balogun all set to come back to the club – giving Mikel Arteta and Edu several decisions to make.
Whilst there haven’t been any new signings as of yet, Arsenal have been active early in the window, something which hopefully will be a sign of things to come.
