Andrea Berta closes in on Arsenal masterstroke as third deal picked after Bukayo Saka update

Andrea Berta plans to hand out a couple more long-term contracts once Bukayo Saka puts pen to paper. The Arsenal winger has recently entered the final two years of his deal at the Emirates Stadium, and Mikel Arteta wants him to extend his stay.

According to the BBC, the Gunners have progressed in talks with Sakaover a new contract. The report claims that there's a growing expectation that an agreement will be reached.

It's said that the 24-year-old winger will become one of the club's best-paid players. Berta has already managed to secure new contracts for William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, as well as arranging pay rises for David Raya and Leandro Trossard in the summer.

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When Saliba committed his future to the Gunners last month, Arteta was asked if he expects Saka to follow suit. The Arsenal boss said: "I would love that.

"From everything that I know, he is a player that is extremely happy, and proud to have the role that he has at the football club. Things will develop in a natural way, like they always do, and everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us. Hopefully, we can do it."

According to the BBC, the former Atletico Madrid sporting director already has his next two targets in his sights. The report claims Arsenal recently opened discussions with Jurrien Timber, with a view to extending his contract, which currently runs until June 2028.

Arteta rates the 24-year-old defender incredibly highly. Back in April 2024, the Gunners boss described Timber as a player that 'nobody else has'.

"Jurrien is a main one because he has a quality that nobody else has in the backline to actually affect," said Arteta. "Especially in the attacking phases, things that we do, in both positions or three positions."

It's said that Berta could soon turn his attention to Declan Rice, who also has two-and-a-half years left on his deal. When Arsenal signed the former West Ham captain in July 2023, Arteta issued a glowing review.

"He is a player that is already excellent, so we have to make sure that we don’t make him worse," said the Spaniard ahead of the Community Shield. "We want him to put on the quality and abilities that he has and let him express his personality and the way he thinks about the game in the right way.

"If we can help him with a few things, that’s what we will try to do, but we’ll try to accommodate his qualities into the team to be better. His leadership skills are unquestionable.

"When you meet him and you spend the first five minutes with him, you get the feeling and impression that he’s someone who is going to help so much, with the dressing room and the approach that we want to take into games and have the initiative in our way of living.

"Things take time and they have to be natural, but if it has to happen, it will happen..."