Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes that retaining key players such as Bukayo Saka is vital to the club’s quest for success.
The England winger has reportedly agreed to a new long-term contract that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2028.
Saka’s current deal runs until June 2024, and the Gunners have been keen to secure his services for the long term. The 20-year-old has been a key player for Arsenal this season, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists in the Premier League.
Arteta stressed the importance of keeping players who share the club’s goals and ambitions, saying: “That’s what we have to do, that’s our responsibility. To keep our best players, our best people. Those that have the same aims and same purposes as the club.”
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Arsenal recently announced new deals for Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe, and the club is reportedly working on fresh terms for William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale. Arteta believes that securing the futures of these young players is a sign of Arsenal’s ambition.
“We have some really good young talent that is coming through, and I think they need to feel that they belong here, and we want them to be part of this project. We want to build something together, and that’s why it’s important to keep them here,” he said.
Saka has been the subject of some rough treatment from opponents this season, but Arteta believes that the young winger will learn to cope with the physicality of the Premier League.
“We have to train him how to deal with those situations when to take certain balls, when to run, when to jump. We have to prepare him to deal with that, and hopefully, he can avoid any serious injuries,” he said.
Arteta also believes that referees have a responsibility to protect players from dangerous tackles, but he acknowledged that this is not always possible.
“We cannot control what the opponents are going to do, or the referee in a split second. We need to help him become a better player, and we need to make sure that he feels protected,” he said.